Effects of photodynamic therapy in periodontal treatment: A randomized, controlled clinical trial

Aim To evaluate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods A randomized, single-blind, controlled, parallel-group clinical trial was performed. Sixty patients were enrolled: 20 healthy controls and 40 patients with periodontitis. The 40 patients were randomized for scaling and root planing (SRP) or SRP+PDT. Periodontal (plaque index, probing depth, clinical recession, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and gingival crevicular fluid volume, corresponding to 381 vs 428 critical sites), microbiological (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia and Campylobacter rectus presence, 18 vs 19 samples) and biochemical (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANK-L) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels, 18 vs 19 samples) parameters were recorded. Results Within each group, significant improvements were found for clinical parameters, though without significant differences between groups. RANK-L was significantly decreased at week 13 in the SRP+PDT group compared with the SRP group. SRP+PDT, but not SRP alone, significantly reduced the abundance of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Conclusions Except for a significant decrease in the pathogenic burden of A. actinomycetemcomitans, coadjuvant PDT resulted in no additional improvement compared with SRP alone in patients diagnosed with moderate to advanced chronic periodontitis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.