COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF CLINICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS USING DIODE LASER (970 NM) AS AN ADJUNCT TO SCALING AND ROOT PLANING - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Background: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is an infectious disease resulting in inflammation of the supporting tissues of the teeth with progressive attachment loss and bone loss. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 970-nm diode laser, as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the management of CP in terms of bacterial reduction and changes in clinical parameters. Methodology: A total of 20 systemically healthy subjects diagnosed with CP were randomly assigned into two groups Group1 (SRP) and Group 2 (SRP and diode laser (970 nm)) with equal numbers in each group. The levels of Treponema denticola and Treponema socranskii were estimated from plaque samples using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Clinical and microbiological parameters were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks post treatment in both the groups. Results:Gradual reductions in the levels of T.denticola, T.socranskiiand improvement in the clinical parameters were observed from baseline to 6 weeks in both the groups. However, the comparison between the groups, although clinically relevant, was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Although no added benefits were found using diode laser (970 nm) application as compared with SRP, it could emerge as an effective non-surgical treatment option in advanced periodontitis with complex inaccessible subgingival niches where comprehensive periodontal care may not be feasible.