Salivary tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in periodontitis associated with diabetes mellitus after low level laser therapy as an adjunct to scaling and root planning: A randomized clinical trial.

Context: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis and diabetes. Nonsurgical periodontal therapy was shown to reduce inflammation and improves glycemic status. Recently, adjunctive low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been shown to alter the inflammatory process.