title: Low-level lasers as an adjunct in periodontal therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of periodontitis, and severe periodontitis often coexists with severe DM. The proposed dual pathway of tissue destruction suggests that control of chronic periodontal infection and gingival inflammation is essential for achieving long-term control of DM. The purpose this study is to evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) by exfoliative cytology in patients with DM and gingival inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred patients were divided in three equal groups: Group 1 consisted of patients with periodontitis and type 1 DM, Group 2 of patients with periodontitis and type 2 DM, and Group 3 of patients with periodontitis (control group). After oral examination, smears were taken from gingival tissue, and afterward all of the patients received oral hygiene instructions, removal of dental plaque, and full-mouth scaling and root planing. A split-mouth design was applied; on the right side of jaws GaAlAs LLLT (670 nm, 5 mW, 14 min/day) (model Mils 94; Optica Laser, Sofia, Bulgaria) was applied for five consecutive days. After the therapy was completed, smears from both sides of jaws were taken. The morphometric analysis was done using the National Institutes of Health Image software program and a model NU2 microscope (Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Investigated parameters were significantly lower after therapy compared with values before therapy. After therapy on the side subjected to LLLT, there was no significantly difference between patients with DM and the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that LLLT as an adjunct in periodontal therapy reduces gingival inflammation in patients with DM and periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia. dr.rada@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Radmila
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obradović
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kesić
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mihailović
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jovanović
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antić
authors.forename: Zlata
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Brkić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003773:Dental Plaque; D012534:Dental Scaling; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016745:Root Planing; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human