Evaluating the Effects of Diode Laser 940 nm Adjunctive to Conventional Scaling and Root Planning for Gingival Sulcus Disinfection in Chronic Periodontitis Patients

Background: Chronic periodontitis (CP) can lead to the loss of tooth-supporting structures. Scaling and root planning (SRP) is the standard treatment, but lasers may provide additional benefits. This study evaluated a 940 nm diode laser as an adjunct to SRP for CP treatment. Methods: In this split-mouth, randomized clinical trial, 32 CP patients with at least two teeth with a pocket depth of more than 4 mm were treated with regular treatment of SRP plus health education with or without the intervention group. Further, a 940 nm diode laser was applied for the decontamination of the gingival groove. Probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss (CAL), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque index (PI) were evaluated at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after scaling. The data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 21), where descriptive methods and statistical tests such as the analysis of variance test were used with repeated measurements, and P 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Results: All parameters improved significantly in both groups (P 0.05), except for GI, which decreased significantly more with a laser versus SRP alone (P 0.05). The results revealed no other statistically significant between-group differences. Conclusion: The adjunctive diode laser provided limited additional improvements compared to SRP alone over 8 weeks. The significant GI reduction indicated that a diode laser may provide some benefits for enhancing non-surgical periodontal treatment. Larger trials are needed to determine if this extra improvement is clinically meaningful in the long term. Clinical Relevance: Diode laser adjuncts to SRP demonstrated minimal short-term benefits over SRP alone in CP patients. The role of lasers in periodontal therapy requires further study. Trial Registration: IRCT20120215009014N234 (retrospectively registered).