title: Clinical and biochemical comparison of guided tissue regeneration versus guided tissue regeneration plus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of class II furcation defects: A clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was aimed to compare the clinical and biochemical effectiveness of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) alone and combined with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) application in the treatment of furcation II periodontal defects, over a period of 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three furcation defects were included in the study. Seventeen of these defects were treated with GTR plus LLLT, and sixteen of them were treated with GTR alone. Probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), horizontal probing depth (HPD), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) levels in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were recorded at baseline and at postoperative 3rd and 6th months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healing was uneventful in all cases. At the 3rd and 6th months, both treatment modalities-GTR and GTR plus LLLT--showed improved PPD, CAL, and HPD values compared to their baseline values. ALP and OC levels in GCF increased after the treatment in both groups (p < 0.05). When compared the two groups, at the 6th month, PPD, CAL, HPD, and ALP values showed significantly more improvement in laser group than non-laser group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that both treatments led to significantly favorable clinical improvements in furcation periodontal defects. LLLT plus GTR may be a more effective treatment modality compared to GTR alone.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Periodontology , Faculty of Dentistry, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülnihal Emrem
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry , Medical Faculty, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: a Department of Periodontology , Faculty of Dentistry, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry , Medical Faculty, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laloğlu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Public Health , Medical Faculty, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Özyıldırım
authors.affiliation: a Department of Periodontology , Faculty of Dentistry, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sağlam
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry , Medical Faculty, Ataturk University , Erzurum , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akçay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D017823:Furcation Defects / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000032:analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase
keywords: Guided tissue regeneration; alkaline phosphatase; furcation defects; gingival crevicular fluid; low-level laser therapy; osteocalcin; periodontal healing