Lasers in Peri-implantitis Treatment YAG and Er: YAG Laser Approach, Investigation of Clinical and Bone Loss Biomarkers

The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled trial of a 6-month duration. Participants were recruited from the Department of Periodontology and Implant Biology of the Dental Faculty, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Patients participating in this study should have at least one implant diagnosed with peri-implantitis according to the 2017 world Workshop on Periodontology definition.

The two groups were the control group (C group), where surgical peri-implantitis therapy was performed with the use of an access flap and mechanical instrumentation of the contaminated implant surface. In the test group (Laser group), surgical treatment was carried out with the conjunctional use of laser irradiation of the contaminated implant surface.

In order to assess peri-implant osseous defect depth, a radiographic examination was performed at baseline.

The assignment of patients into the two groups of the study was succeeded by a randomization process with the use of computer software (www.randomizer.org). In patients with more than one implant having peri-implantitis, a second randomization procedure with the same procedure determined which implant would be included. The randomization results were placed in opaque envelopes accessible only by the supervisor (I.V.) and given to the treating investigator for each patient, just prior to therapeutic intervention. The present research study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Dentistry. Protocol No. 83/15-06-2020. All participants received written information regarding the aim and the procedures of the study, and afterwards, they were asked to sign their consent.

Sample size calculation was performed on a patient-based analysis in order to detect a clinically significant difference in probing pocket depth (PPD) of 1mm±0.75 mm SD between the two groups (control and laser). Type I error was set at 0.05 level and power at 0.80. The minimum required sample size was calculated to be ten patients per group. In addition, in order to detect a clinically significant difference in PPD of 1mm±1mm SD between the two time periods, within the group, with 0.05 type I error and 0.80 power, the minimum required sample size was estimated to be ten patients per group too.