Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of periodontal diseases: A review

Aim: Periodontal diseases remain a challenging clinical condition and hence existing literature showed no consensus on the best treatment option for disease control. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of exciting clinical evidence on the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of periodontal diseases. Materials and Method: A literature review was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, Wiley, ScienceDirect, and Scopus using the terms PDT, periodontal disease, laser, scaling and root planning, chronic periodontitis, and aggressive periodontitis. Results: Of a total of 149 articles appeared from various sources, 147 articles were screened and 36 were related to the research objective. Adjunctive therapy with PDT may promote additional clinical and microbiological outcomes. Conclusion: Little information is available with regard to PDT photosensitizers, wavelength, number of sessions, and duration. Therefore, large randomized control trials with longer follow-up are needed to assess the potential of PDT in the treatment of periodontal disease.