Clinical efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy combined with tea polyphenols in treating peri-implantitis

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) plus tea polyphenols (TP) in treating peri-implantitis. Methods: The clinical records of 91 peri-implantitis patients treated at the North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital and Tangshan Hongci Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Forty-one patients who received PDT alone were assigned to the control group, while the other 50 patients receiving both PDT and TP were allocated to the study group. Periodontal indices, inflammatory factors, swallowing function, pain, MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, therapeutic effect and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: Post therapy, significant reductions in the modified plaque index (mPLI), modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were observed in both groups (P<0.05), with more notable decreases in the study group (P<0.05). Besides, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as interleukin-1(3 (IL-1(3) also decreased notably in both groups (P<0.05), with notably lower levels in the study group (P<0.05). SF-36 scores across all dimensions significantly improved in both groups (P<0.05), with the study group demonstrating more substantial improvements (P<0.05). Swallowing function scores significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05), with a more marked improvement in the study group (P<0.05). Similarly, the VAS scores of both groups significantly decreased post-treatment (P<0.05), especially the study group (P<0.05). In contrast to the control group, a notably higher overall response rate was observed in the study group (P=0.020), while no significant inter-group difference was observed in the total incidence of adverse reactions (P=0.683). Conclusion: PDT plus TP is more effective than PDT alone in treating peri-implantitis. This combined approach significantly reduces inflammation, improves periodontal health, and enhances quality of life, without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. These findings suggest its potential for broader clinical application.