Adjunctive Nd:YAG laser irradiation in the treatment of stage III/IV periodontitis: a 12-month, randomized, controlled trial

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the adjunctive use of Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) to full-mouth scaling and root planning (FMS), in stage III/IV periodontitis patients.Materials and methodsSixty stage III/IV periodontitis patients were randomly assigned to three groups. The control group received FMS, laser 1 group received combined FMS/single Nd:YAG laser irradiation (3 W, 150 mJ, 20 Hz,100 mu s), and laser 2 group received combined FMS/double Nd:YAG laser irradiation with 1-week interval (2.0 W, 200 mJ, 10 Hz, 100 mu s). PD, CAL, FMPS, GI, FMBS, and GR were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated 1 week after treatment.ResultsA significant improvement (p < 0.001) for all clinical parameters was observed during the entire study period, with the exception of mean CAL gain for the laser 2 group at 12 months. The percentage of pockets <= 4 mm was significantly higher compared to baseline for all groups throughout the study, with no inter-group differences at any time point. Patient-reported analgesic consumption was higher for laser 1 group.ConclusionsThe adjunctive use of Nd:YAG laser irradiation was similarly effective to FMS alone, during the entire study period. A slightly higher, though not statistically significant improvement was reported for PD at 6 and 12 months after a single post-FMS application of Nd:YAG laser for pocket epithelium removal and coagulation.Trial registrationISRCTN26692900. Registration date: 09/06/2022

Automated summary

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Nd:YAG laser as an adjunct to full-mouth scaling and root planning in patients with stage III/IV periodontitis. The study found that the adjunctive use of Nd:YAG laser was equally effective as full-mouth scaling and root planning alone throughout the study period. There was a slight, but not statistically significant improvement in probing depth at 6 and 12 months after a single post-treatment application of Nd:YAG laser for pocket epithelium removal and coagulation.