title: Adjunctive Non-Surgical Therapy of Inflamed Periodontal Pockets During Maintenance Therapy Using Diode Laser: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous studies have documented the clinical outcomes of laser therapy for untreated periodontitis, but very few have reported on lasers treating inflamed pockets during maintenance therapy. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of scaling and root planing (SRP) plus the adjunctive use of diode laser therapy to SRP alone on changes in the clinical parameters of disease and on the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) inflammatory mediator interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in patients receiving regular periodontal maintenance therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This single-masked and randomized, controlled, prospective study includes 22 patients receiving regular periodontal maintenance therapy who had one or more periodontal sites with a probing depth (PD) ≥ 5 mm with bleeding on probing (BOP). Fifty-six sites were treated with SRP and adjunctive laser therapy (SRP + L). Fifty-eight sites were treated with SRP alone. Clinical parameters, including PD, clinical attachment level (CAL), and BOP, and GCF IL-1β levels were measured immediately before treatment (baseline) and 3 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sites treated with SRP + L and SRP alone resulted in statistically significant reductions in PD and BOP and gains in CAL. These changes were not significantly different between the two therapies. Similarly, differences in GCF IL-1β levels between SRP + L and SRP alone were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In periodontal maintenance patients, SRP + L did not enhance clinical outcomes compared to SRP alone in the treatment of inflamed sites with ≥ 5 mm PD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Naomi-Trang
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialties, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Byarlay
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialties, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialties, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Trudy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Meinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialties, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Wayne B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kaldahl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016745:Root Planing / Q000379:methods; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta
keywords: Clinical trial; lasers; periodontitis; recurrence; root planing; therapeutics