Objectives: Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers have been previously used as an adjunct in periodontal therapy. The aim of this single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a combined application of Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser irradiation in periodontal treatment.
Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients with at least one site of ≥ 6 mm periodontal probing depth (PPD) after mechanical debridement with curettes and sonic instruments at periodontal reevaluation were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated at a 1:1 ratio to either a combined Nd:YAG/Er:YAG laser therapy (test group) or a "turned off" laser therapy (control group). The Nd:YAG laser was used for periodontal pocket deepithelialization and to stabilize the resulting blood clot. The Er:YAG laser was primarily used for root surface modification. PPD (mm), clinical attachment level (CAL, mm), and bleeding on probing (BOP, +/-) at the site of laser treatment were evaluated at baseline and 2 months after treatment.
Results: The mean improvements from baseline to 2-month follow-up for PPD were significantly better in the laser group (2.05 ± 0.82 mm) compared to the control group (0.64 ± 0.90 mm; p = 0.001). Likewise, the gain in CAL was significantly better in the laser group (1.50 ± 1.10 mm) than in the control group (0.55 ± 1.01mm; p = 0.046).
Conclusions: The combined application of Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser irradiation as an adjunct to conventional non-surgical therapy showed a significant beneficial effect on periodontal treatment results.
Clinical relevance: Combined Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser irradiation could be a useful procedure additionally to conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy to improve periodontal treatment results.
Clinical trial registration: ISRCTN registry #ISRCTN32132076.
Keywords: Erbium laser; Laser therapy; Neodymium laser; Non-surgical treatment; Periodontal debridement; Periodontal disease; Solid-state lasers.
© 2021. The Author(s).