Photodynamic therapy - A novel site specfic treatment for periodontitis- An evidence based approach

P therapy (PDT) is a modern approach in dentistry where light of an appropriate wavelength is used in the presence of a specific photosensitizer (PS) to eradicate target cells selectively. Although PDT is more widely known for its application in the treatment of neoplasms, PDT shows great potential in the treatment of periodontitis. Treatment of patients with periodontitis of varying extent and severity can be often challenging and difficult. Although scaling and root planing still remains to be the gold standard for the non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease, however, it has been noticed that in some cases, adjuctive treatment modalities are required to suppress periodontal pathogens and augment the effect of conventional mechanical treatment. Therefore, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been suggested as an alternative treatment modality in managing periodontitis. Various clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the effects of PDT as an adjunct in the management of chronic and aggressive periodontitis patients. While there is still inconclusive data regarding a definitive benefit for PDT along with SRP in the treatment of periodontitis, its noteworthy that several clinical trials have shown additional clinical, microbiological, immunological and patient-based benefits when PDT and SRP were given in combination to patients with periodontitis. This presentation is an evidence-based approach to summarize the results of the available literature for clinical protocol for application of photodynamic therapy. It is intended to aid the clinicians and academicians in making evidence-based treatment decisions regarding PDT as a nonsurgical treatment modality in management of periodontal diseases.