The use of diode lasers in non-surgical therapy of periodontitis

Introduction. Periodontitis is a disease of multifactorial etiology and complex clinical manifestation. Removal of subgingival bacterial biofilm is a fundamental procedure in the treatment of periodontitis. Scaling and root planing (SRP) is currently the gold standard in the treatment of periodontitis, but in some cases such a procedure does not provide satisfactory results. The use of lasers in the treatment of periodontitis is one of the alternative adjunctive methods that has recently become more popular. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of diode lasers in the treatment of periodontitis, based on the literature found in the Medline, Pubmed and Scopus databases published from June 2013 – June 2020. Results were based on a comparison of the effectiveness of SRP treatment in combination with photodynamic therapy or SRP in combination with laser irradiation of periodontal pockets. Results. The majority of studies confirmed the effectiveness of periodontal treatment combining SRP with photodynamic therapy or SRP with laser irradiation, compared to an SRP alone. Conclusions. Based on the recent literature, it can be concluded that SRP combined with photodynamic therapy or SRP in combination with a diode laser irradiation are effective methods to improve the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment.