No Benefit of an Adjunctive Phototherapy Protocol in Treatment of Periodontitis: a Split-Mouth Randomised 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, randomised, controlled, split-mouth, multi-centre 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=0.212). 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).
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