Objective: The aim of this split-mouth, double blinded, short-term, controlled clinical trial was to study the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) for treatment of chronic periodontitis. Background data: LLLT is reported to improve the outcome of traditional SRP, but the evidence is still weak. Materials and methods: Sixteen patients with a probing pocket depth (PPD) of 4–6 mm involving at least three teeth in each quadrant were recruited for the study. Afterwards, SRP quadrants were randomly assigned for 10 sessions of LLLT. Results: Results showed that when compared to sites treated with SRP alone, those treated with SRP+LLLT (10 sessions, 830 nm, 100 mW, 3 J per point, 3 J/cm2) exhibited greater reductions in PPD at 5 weeks and 3 months but not at 6 months. Further, SRP+LLLT-treated sites had a statistically significant increase in mean radiographic bone density when comparing 6- and 12-month data and overall from baseline to 12 months. There was a trend to reduce interleukin (IL)-1β but the difference between control and laser sites was not statistically significant. Conclusions: SRP combined with LLLT improved radiographic bone density and short-term PPD reduction in patients with chronic periodontitis, but did not significantly affect either the gingival crevicular fluid of IL-1β or the gingival or plaque index.
EduardoC., FreitasP.M., Esteves–OliveiraM., AranhaA.C., RamalhoK. M, SimõesA, Bello–SilvaM.S., TunérJ.2010. Laser phototherapy in the treatment of periodontal disease. A review. Lasers Med Sci., 25:781–792.
5.
LöeH., SilnessJ.1963. Periodontal disease in pregnancy, I. Prevalence and severity. Acta Odontol. Scand., 21:533–551.
6.
SilnessJ., LöeH.1964. Periodontal disease in pregnancy. II Correlation between oral hygiene and periodontal conditions. Acta Odontol. Scand, 22:121–131.
7.
QadriT., MirandaL., TunérJ., GustafssonA.2005. The short-term effects of low-level lasers as adjunct therapy in the treatment of periodontal inflammation. J. Clin. Periodontol., 32:714–719.
8.
KhadraM., KasemN., HaanaesH. R., EllingsenJ. E., LyngstadaasS. P.2004. Enhancement of bone formation in rat calvarial bone defects using low-level laser therapy. Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. Oral Radiol. Endod., 97:693–700.
9.
PinheiroA. L., GerbiM. E.2006. Photoengineering of bone repair processes. Photomed. Laser Surg., 24:169–178.
10.
MatsumotoM. A., FerinoR. V., MonteleoneG. F., RibeiroD. A.2009. Low-level laser therapy modulates cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression during bone repair in rats. Lasers Med. Sci., 24:195–201.
11.
XuM., DengT., MoT., DengB., LamW., DengP., ZhangX., LiuS.2009. Low-intensity pulsed laser irradiation affects RANKL and OPG mRNA expression in rat calvarial cells. Photomed. Laser Surg., 2:309–315.
12.
NomuraK., YamaguchiM., AbikoY.2001. Inhibition of interleukin-1beta production and gene expression in human gingival fibroblasts by low-energy laser irradiation. Lasers Med. Sci., 16:218–223.
13.
AykolG., BaserU., MadinI., KazakZ., OnanU., Tanrikulu–KucukS., AdemoguE., IsseverH., YalsinF.2011. The effect of low level laser therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment. J. Periodontol., 82:481–488.
14.
PejciçA., KojoviçD., KesiçL., ObradoviçR.2010. The effects of low level laser irradiation on gingival inflammation. Photomed. Laser Surg., 28:69–74.
15.
ObradoviçR., KesiçL.2010. The efficacy of a low level laser therapy as an adjunct in periodontal therapy in diabetics. Lasers Med. Sci., 25,Suppl. 1:S1–S55.
16.
OliverJ.E, Holm–PedersenP, LöeH. 1969. The correlation between clinical scoring exudates measurements and microscopic evaluation of inflammation in the gingiva. J. Periodontol., 40:201–202.
