Clinical outcomes of diode laser as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy for residual periodontal pockets in mandibular second molars - a randomized controlled clinical trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of diode laser as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) for residual periodontal pockets in mandibular second molars. Sixty-seven mandibular second molars (154 residual periodontal pockets) were recruited into the study and randomly assigned to the Laser+NSPT group and the NSPT group. Clinical parameters were measured at baseline (T0) and 4(T1), 12(T2), and 24(T3), weeks after treatment. Periodontal pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) in both groups showed significant improvements at the end of study compared to baseline. The reductions of PPD, CAL, and BOP in the Laser+NSPT group were significantly greater than NSPT group. The diode laser as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy may contribute to clinical outcomes for residual periodontal pockets. However, the approach may cause KTW reduction.