title: Adjunctive efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of experimental peri-implant mucositis with mechanical and photodynamic therapy: a randomized, cross-over clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the adjunctive clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis (p-iM) with professionally administered plaque removal (PAPR) and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Following p-iM induction, patients underwent PAPR + PDT and were randomly assigned to receive the professional and home-based administration of probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis) (test treatment) or placebo preparation (control treatment) according to a cross-over design. Clinical parameters were assessed at six sites for each implant before as well as at 2 and 6 weeks after professional treatment administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients contributing one dental implant each were included. Immediately before treatment and at 6 weeks, the median number of sites with bleeding on probing (BoP+) sites per implant unit was 4 (3-6) and 2 (0-2) (p < 0.001), respectively, for test treatment, and 3.5 (2-4) and 2 (0-3) (p = 0.03), respectively, for control treatment. No significant difference in clinical outcomes was observed between treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of PAPR and PDT either alone or associated with probiotics determined a significant reduction in the number of BoP+ sites at 2 and 6 weeks around implants with p-iM. The adjunctive use of probiotics did not significantly enhance the clinical outcomes of PAPR + PDT.
authors.affiliation: Section of Periodontics, Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mongardini
authors.affiliation: Section of Periodontics, Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilloni
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for the Study of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.|Operative Unit of Dentistry, University-Hospital of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4621-7809
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Tanna
authors.affiliation: Section of Periodontics, Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Blerina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4845-6827
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052016:Mucositis / Q000628:therapy*; D057873:Peri-Implantitis / Q000628:therapy*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: dental implants; mucositis; photochemotherapy; probiotics