Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy acts as a beneficial adjunct to SRP in non-surgical treatment and management of chronic periodontitis in short-term. Further studies are required to assess the long-term effectiveness of aPDT.

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as either a primary mode of treatment or an adjunct to non-surgical treatment was more effective than scaling and root planing (SRP) alone in treating chronic periodontitis in terms of clinical attachment level (CAL) gain and probing depth (PD) reduction. The focused question was developed using the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) format, and two authors independently searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies from January 2008 to December 2016. Twenty studies included in this systematic review were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of aPDT compared to placebo, no intervention, or non-surgical treatment in an adult population. Basic study characteristics, photosensitizing agents and wavelengths used in aPDT, frequency of aPDT application, effect of aPDT on clinical parameters, antimicrobial effect of aPDT in chronic periodontitis, effect of immunological parameters following aPDT and patient-based outcome measures were collected from the studies. Although there was a wide range of heterogeneity in the included studied, they all indicated that aPDT has the potential to be an effective adjunct in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Long-term, multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed before aPDT can be recommended as an effective treatment modality.

There is inconclusive evidence about the link between the severity and prevalence of periodontitis in obese adults. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the possibility of significant evidence on the association between obesity and periodontitis and to determine the necessity to consider obesity as a risk factor for periodontitis. We followed the PRISMA protocol, and studies that met the eligibility criteria were included in this review. The risk of bias in individual studies was also evaluated. This review included 15 observational studies (9 cross-sectional studies, 2 case-control, and 4 cohort studies). The total study subjects from these studies were 6603 (males = 3432; females = 3171). Most studies showed a significant association between obesity and periodontitis. Among these studies, a few showed obese females to be at a higher risk, and one study found no association between obesity and periodontal disease at all. Based on the evidence obtained from this review, the body mass index (BMI) should be routinely assessed in patients to assess the risk for periodontal disease and to offer personalized management of periodontitis. Based on the findings of this review, we recommend the need to initiate awareness among clinicians and implement dental hygiene care prevention measures for obese patients.

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Objectives To determine the prevalence of chronic periodontitis and its determinants among patients in the Aseer Region of KSA. Methods A total of 1000 consecutive new female patients between 25- to 75-years of age were screened for the presence of any periodontal disease. The various demographic characteristics of the study participants included age, educational level, occupation, presence of diabetes mellitus, family history of periodontal disease, and oral hygiene practices per subject were recorded. The parameters addressing periodontal prevalence and severity were also recorded. Results Of these patients, 457 were found to have evidence of periodontal disease. These patients were considered for a further detailed periodontal examination. The chi-square test for goodness of fit showed that 46.6% have localized chronic gingivitis while 2.2% have generalized chronic gingivitis. Localized chronic periodontitis ranged from 4.2% to 12%, whereas generalized chronic periodontitis varied from 3.1 to 14.7%. The non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis chi-square statistics showed that factors such as age, education, occupation, infrequent last dental visit, presence of diabetes mellitus and bleeding on probing were significant risk determinants for periodontal disease in the selected cohort. Conclusion The majority of the population showed the presence of localized chronic gingivitis. Age, education, occupation, infrequent dental visits and presence of diabetes mellitus are significant risk determinants for the occurrence of chronic periodontitis. Information concerning individual risk for developing periodontal disease should be carefully evaluated for proper patient management and for better overall general health.