Impact of diode laser application alongside open flap debridement in periodontitis treatment

Periodontitis is a progressive inflammatory disease affecting the tooth-supporting structures. Although open flap debridement (OFD) is effective in managing advanced cases, complete elimination of pathogenic biofilms remains challenging. Diode lasers are popularly used as adjunctive aids owing to their bactericidal and stimulatory properties. Therefore, it is of interest to assess whether the efficacy of diode laser along with open flap debridement in improving clinical outcomes in severe periodontitis. The study involved 60 systemically healthy individuals with generalized periodontitis and probing pocket measuring more than 5 mm divided into test and control group. Clinical parameters-probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), modified sulcular bleeding index (mSBI), wound healing index (WHI) and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain-were assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Group B demonstrated significantly better wound healing scores on Day 3 and Day 7 while significant improvements were observed in post-operative pain, CAL, PPD and mSBI at 6 months. Diode lasers offer a promising tool for optimizing the surgical management of severe periodontal cases.