The Use of 980nm Diode Laser as an Adjunct to Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment in Chronic Periodontitis: A Clinical Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic Periodontitis (CP) is a major cause of tooth loss. Management usually consists of Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy (NSPT) and surgical treatment. Lately advances in periodontics include the use of lasers, known for their benecial effects, as efcient adjuvants to NSPT. This study evaluated and compared clinically, the efcacy of 980 nm Diode Laser (DL) used as adjunct to conventional NSPT for treating CP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 50 subjects, aged 35-65 years with moderate CP (5-8mm pocket depth). According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 patients were selected and randomly allocated to two groups; the rst group, the control group (CG), treated by NSPT; and 25 in the second test group, (TG), received NSPT followed by DL irradiation. Assessment was conducted for gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment level (CAL), and probing pocket depth (PPD) at baseline (B/L), 4th and 12th weeks. RESULTS: There was statistically signicant improvement in all clinical parameters. GI reduced from 2.35 at B/L to 1.07 and 0.93 in CG; and from 2.39 to 0.96 and 0.85 in TG at 4 and 12 weeks (P < 0.00001). At B/L all 50 patients had BOP, which decreased to 7 in the CG and to 0 in the TG at both 4 and 12 weeks, (P < 0.003). PPD at B/L was 7.8mm for CG; 7.92 mm for TG and reduced to 4.8mm and 5.1mm in CG; 3.64 mm and 3.36mm in TG at 4 and 12 weeks (P < 0.00001). CAL at B/L was 7.24 mm for CG and 7.28mm for TG, and improved to 4.6mm and 4.72mm and in TG to 3.28mm at 4 and 12 weeks (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: The application of adjunctive980 nm DL improves clinical parameters including GI, CAL, PPD and most markedly, BOP