Effect Of Photodynamic Therapy Combined With Surgical Periodontal Treatment In Patients With Chronic Periodontitis: A clinical and microbiological study.

Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease resulting in inflammation within supporting tissues of teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss. Periodontal pockets form a unique environment which harbours almost 400 species of microorganisms. These bacterial biofilms interact with host cells resulting in tissue destruction. Periodontal therapy aims to achieve complete periodontal health, Which can only be accomplished by complete debridement of microbiota and endotoxins present on the root surface (1).

Non-surgical and Surgical periodontal therapy (SPT) have been used successfully for many years to treat periodontitis. However, there is transient reduction in quality of periodontal pathogens when mechanical therapy alone is used. Mechanical therapy was not successful in eliminating or preventing recolonization of bacterial pathogens. As a result there has been a search for adjunctive therapy for periodontal treatment approaches (2).

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) also known as phototherapy, involves the use of photoactive dye (photosensitizer) that is activated by exposure to light of a specific wavelength in the presence of oxygen. It could provide an alternative for targeting microbes directly at the site of infection, thus overcoming the problems associated with antimicrobials (3). The use of PDT presents a divergent results in treating chronic periodontitis. (4).

Based on the previous literature, PDT may be effective as an adjunctive therapy to periodontal mechanical debridement, especially in cases of advanced periodontal disease and sites which are difficult to access.