Background. Conventional mechanical
debridement alone cannot eliminate bacteria and their products from
periodontal pockets. Adjunctive
therapies improve tissue healing through detoxification and bactericidal effects.
Photodynamic therapy (
PDT) is a non-invasive treatment procedure that involves the use of a
dye as a
photosensitizer to attach to the target cell and be activated by a photon of an appropriate wavelength. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of
PDT in treating
periodontitis as an adjunct to scaling and
root planing. Methods. Fifteen subjects with
chronic periodontitis were treated randomly with scaling and
root planing (SRP), followed by a single
PDT (test) or SRP (control) episode alone. Full-mouth plaque index (PI), sulcus
bleeding index (SBI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed at baseline and 1-month and 3-month intervals. Microbiological evaluation of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) in subgingival plaque samples was performed using a commercially available real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results. The results revealed a significant difference in PI, SBI, PD, CAL, and microbiological parameters between the groups one and three months
after treatment. Conclusion. A combination of
PDT and SRP gave rise to a significant improvement in clinical and microbiological parameters in patients with
chronic periodontitis.