Efficacy of Scaling and Root Planing with and without Adjunctive Use of Diode Laser or 1% Ornidazole Gel as Local Drug Delivery in the Management of Chronic Periodontitis: An Experimental Study

Background: Chronic periodontitis is a prevalent inflammatory disease affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. Scaling and root planing (SRP) is a conventional non-surgical therapy. However, adjunctive treatments like diode lasers and local drug delivery systems (e.g., 1% Ornidazole gel) have been proposed to enhance treatment outcomes. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of SRP alone and combined with diode laser or 1% Ornidazole gel as adjunctive therapies for managing chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: This experimental study included forty five individuals of both gender aged between 27 and 60 years diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and having pocket depths >4 mm in different quadrants of the mouth were selected and divided equally into three groups as Group-I (treated with SRP only), Group-II (treated with SRP and diode Laser application of 1.5 w, 980nm,30sec continuous wave), Group-III (treated with SRP and Application of 1% Ornidazole gel, as local drug delivery). Clinical parameters including gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded at baseline and after 1 month of treatment. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the outcomes among the three groups.Results: All groups exhibited significant improvement in periodontal health, with reductions in GI, PPD and improvements in CAL. The intra-group comparison of all three groups from baseline to one month showed a statistically significant reduction in GI, PPD and CAL. In contrast, the intergroup comparison between Group I (SRP only) and Group II (SRP+Diode laser) showed statistically non-significant results in PPD and CAL. A statistically significant reduction in PPD and CAL was observed in Group III (SRP+ 1% Ornidazole gel) compared to Group I and Group II.Conclusion: Adjunctive use of diode laser and 1% Ornidazole gel enhances the efficacy of SRP in treating chronic periodontitis. Both modalities offer clinical benefits over SRP alone, with the 1% ornidazole showing marginally better results. when used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in non-surgical periodontal therapy of patients with chronic periodontitis. Further research with a larger sample size and longer follow-up is needed to validate these findings.