Nd:YAG (1064 nm) laser for the treatment of chronic periodontitis: a pilot study.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical and microbiological effects of neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser therapy as an adjunct to scaling and root planing during the hygienic phase.

Methods: In eight patients, sites with a mean probing pocket depth (PPD) of ≥5 mm were treated by either scaling and root planing (n=28) (control) or by scaling and root planing and adjunctive laser therapy (n=28) (power: 5W). Re-evaluation was at 4-6 weeks. Thereafter, remaining pockets (mean PPD ≥5 mm) were eliminated by either laser surgery (power: 7 W) or gingivectomy (control).

Results: At baseline, the mean PPD of sites originally presenting with a mean PPD ≥4 mm were 4.69 and 4.73 mm in the test and control sites, respectively. Six months following surgery, there was a similar average mean PPD reduction in the test (1.18 mm, P<0.01) and control sites (1.35 mm, P<0.01). Also, the reduction in bleeding on probing in both groups was statistically significant (P<0.01, paired t-tests). No statistically-significant differences between the test and control sites were found for any clinical or microbiological parameters at baseline, after initial, and 3 or 6 months' post-surgical therapy.

Conclusion: During the hygienic phase, neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (1064 nm) laser treatment yielded no superiority in clinical efficacy compared to conventional debridement. Laser gingivectomy resulted in similar treatment outcomes (mean PPD and bleeding on probing reduction), as did conventional gingivectomy.