title: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in the non-surgical treatment of aggressive periodontitis: a preliminary randomized controlled clinical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The treatment of aggressive periodontitis has always presented a challenge for clinicians, but there are no established protocols and guidelines for the efficient control of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis were treated in a split-mouth design study to either photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a laser source with a wavelength of 690 nm associated with a phenothiazine photosensitizer or scaling and root planing (SRP) with hand instruments. Clinical assessment of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (GR), and relative clinical attachment level (RCAL) were made at baseline and 3 months after treatment with an automated periodontal probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initially, the PI was 1.0 +/- 0.5 in both groups. At the 3-month evaluation, the plaque scores were reduced and remained low throughout the study. A significant reduction of GI and BOP occurred in both groups after 3 months (P <0.05). The mean PD decreased in the PDT group from 4.92 +/- 1.61 mm at baseline to 3.49 +/- 0.98 mm after 3 months (P <0.05) and in SRP group from 4.92 +/- 1.14 mm at baseline to 3.98 +/- 1.76 mm after 3 months (P <0.05). The mean RCAL decreased in the PDT group from 9.93 +/- 2.10 mm at baseline to 8.74 +/- 2.12 mm after 3 months (P <0.05), and in the SRP group, from 10.53 +/- 2.30 mm at baseline to 9.01 +/- 3.05 mm after 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT and SRP showed similar clinical results in the non-surgical treatment of aggressive periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bucco-Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Traumatology and Periodontology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Humberto O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Schwartz-Filho
authors.forename: Arthur B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Novaes
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000628:therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D016745:Root Planing / Q000295:instrumentation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome