Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy with Diode laser and Methylene blue as an adjunct to scaling and root planning: A clinical trial.

Introduction: Chronic periodontitis, the most common periodontal disease, is the destruction of tooth supporting structures and alveolar bone which may result in teeth exfoliation. Conventionally, treatment aims at decreasing bacterial load by mechanical debridement and systemic or local delivery of antibiotics. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a safe alternative adjunct therapy for elimination of pathogenic bacteria in periodontal pocket. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aPDT with 660 nm diode laser and methylene blue as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) on clinical periodontal parameters.

Materials And Methods: In this clinical trial, we assessed aPDT as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) in chronic periodontitis treatment. A total of 50 subjected were enrolled. The case group received SRP and aPDT with methylene blue solution as photosensitizer and diode laser (wavelength= 660 nm, power = 150 mW) irradiation. The control group received only SRP. The effect on clinical parameters, namely Plaque index (PI), Gingival index (GI), and probing depth (PD) was recorded at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months.

Results: There were no significant differences between participants for clinical parameters at baseline. PI, GI and PD significantly improved compared to baseline (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that aPDT can be considered a safe and efficient technique in addition to SRP for reducing the pocket depth in chronic periodontitis patients.