Clinical and bacterial outcomes of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of chronic necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis.

Aim: To assess the clinical periodontal and microbiological parameters in patients having chronic necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (NUP) after the administration of adjunctive photodynamic therapy and non-surgical periodontal therapy in smokers, mal-nutrition and HIV positive individuals.

Materials And Methods: A total of 30 individuals with NUP were selected for the present clinical trial, where both Group I and Group II had equal number of patients, respectively (15 each). The groups were divided on the basis of provision of treatment where patients in Group I underwent scaling and root planing (SRP). Furthermore, Group II patients were subjected to adjunctive phtotodynamic therapy and SRP (aPDT + SRP). Full mouth plaque scores (fmpS), full mouth bleeding on probing (fmBOP), periodontal pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment levels (CAL) were the clinical periodontal parameters that were carefully evaluated. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Tannerella forsythia (Tf) were the bacteria species which were evaluated. The assessments were done at baseline, three (3) months and six (6) months, respectively.

Results: All periodontal parameters including fmpS, fmBOP, PPD and CAL significantly improved in both Group I and Group II, respectively. Group II patients subjected to aPDT + SRP reported higher reduction in mean PPD in comparison to Group I patients at follow up (p < 0.05). At follow-up, similar results were also reported for CAL gain where Group II (aPDT +SRP) patients reported higher CAL gain in comparison to patients who underwent SRP only (p < 0.05). From baseline to follow-up, all the bacterial levels exhibited reduction in both study groups i.e Group I (SRP) and Group II (aPDT + SRP), respectively (p < 0.05). However, Group II patients prominent reduction in the counts of Aa and Tf at the three-month interval, whereas Aa seem to reduce in HIV and smoking individuals at the six-month interval. Moreover, the levels of Pg and Tf significantly reduced at 3 months and only Aa at 6 months in patients with mal-nutrition, respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The use of photodynamic treatment as an adjunct to scaling and root planing enhanced clinical periodontal results and reduced bacterial content in patients having NUP.