No Benefit of an Adjunctive Phototherapy Protocol in Treatment of Periodontitis: a Split-Mouth Randomised Controlled Trial.

AIM To assess the efficacy of a commercially-available adjunctive phototherapy protocol ('Perio-1') in treatment of periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS In an examiner-blind, randomised, controlled, split-mouth, multi-centre study, 60 periodontitis patients received root surface debridement (RSD) in sextants either alone (control sextants) or with the adjunctive phototherapy protocol (test sextants). Re-evaluation was performed at 6, 12 and 24 weeks. RESULTS No statistically significant differences in mean (± standard deviation) clinical attachment level (CAL) change from baseline to week 24 were observed between test (-1.00±1.16 mm) and control sextants (-0.87±0.79 mm) at sites with probing pocket depths (PPDs) ≥ 5 mm ("deep sites") at baseline (p=0.212). Comparisons between test and control sextants for all other parameters (CAL change at all sites, PPD change at deep sites/all sites, bleeding on probing, plaque scores), and for all change intervals, failed to identify any statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS The phototherapy protocol did not provide any additional clinical benefits over those achieved by RSD alone. (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00011229).