No benefit of an adjunctive phototherapy protocol in treatment of periodontitis: A split-mouth randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: To assess the efficacy of a commercially available adjunctive phototherapy protocol ("Perio-1") in treatment of periodontitis.

Materials and methods: In an examiner-blind, randomized, controlled, split-mouth, multicentre study, 60 periodontitis patients received root surface debridement (RSD) in sextants either alone (control sextants) or with the adjunctive phototherapy protocol (test sextants). Re-evaluation was performed at 6, 12 and 24 weeks.

Results: No statistically significant differences in mean (± standard deviation) clinical attachment level (CAL) change from baseline to week 24 were observed between test (-1.00 ± 1.16 mm) and control sextants (-0.87 ± 0.79 mm) at sites with probing pocket depths (PPDs) ≥5 mm ("deep sites") at baseline (p = .212). Comparisons between test and control sextants for all other parameters (CAL change at all sites, PPD change at deep sites/all sites, bleeding on probing, plaque scores), and for all change intervals, failed to identify any statistically significant differences.

Conclusions: The phototherapy protocol did not provide any additional clinical benefits over those achieved by RSD alone. (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00011229).

Keywords: periodontal debridement; periodontitis; phototherapy; randomized controlled trial.