The Effect of Laser Therapy as an Adjunct to Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment in Subjects With Chronic Periodontitis: A Systematic Review

Background: The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of laser therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment in adults with chronic periodontitis. Methods: A search was conducted for randomized controlled trials comparing the outcome of periodontitis with laser as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease. The electronic databases, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, were used as data sources. Screening, data abstraction, and quality assessment were conducted independently by three reviewers (MK, HJ, and CDL). The primary outcome measures evaluated were changes in clinical attachment level, probing depth, and bleeding on probing. Results: The search resulted in 25 abstracts; four randomized controlled clinical trials were included. Four different laser methods were used; consequently, it was impossible to conduct a quantitative data synthesis leading to a meta-analysis. All studies included a limited number of subjects. Conclusions: No consistent evidence supports the efficacy of laser treatment as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment in adults with chronic periodontitis. More randomized controlled clinical trials are needed. J Periodontol 2008,79: 2021-2028.