RESUMEN
Objective@#To investigate the efficacy of antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as an adjunct to subgingival scaling and root planning in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.@*Methods@#This study followed medical ethics guidelines, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Sixteen patients were recruited for this randomized split-mouth controlled trial. The control group underwent subgingival scaling and root planning (SRP), while the experimental group received subgingival scaling and root planing plus aPDT treatment using Perowave® with a toluidine blue O solution photosensitizer. The probing pocket depth (PD), recession, plaque index (PLI), bleeding index (BI) and proportion of positive sites of bleeding on probing (BOP) (BOP%) at all sites were examined at baseline (before treatment) and at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment.@*Results@#Follow-up was completed for 13 patients. On the control side, 356 teeth were tested at 2 136 sites. A total of 360 teeth on the test side and 2 160 sites were included in the study. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the baseline indicators between the two groups. After treatment, both groups showed significant improvement in clinical parameters, including PD, PLI, BI, and BOP%,compared with baseline. At 3 months, the BOP% and PLI in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The improvement in BOP% and PLI in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group 3 months after treatment (P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#aPDT, as an adjuvant treatment to SRP for chronic periodontitis, can improve gingival bleeding and control periodontal inflammation in the early stage.