Effect of Nd:YAG laser-assisted non-surgical mechanical debridement on clinical and radiographic peri-implant inflammatory parameters in patients with peri-implant disease

Background and aim The efficacy of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser-assisted non-surgical mechanical debridement (MD) in the treatment of periimplant diseases remains uninvestigated. The aim was to assess the efficacy of Nd:YAG laser-assisted non-surgical MD on clinical and radiographic periimplant inflammatory parameters in patients with periimplant disease. Methods Treatment wise, 63 male patients with periimplant diseases were divided into 2 groups: Group-1 (32 patients): treatment of periimplant disease using MD alone (control group); and Group-2 (n = 31 patients): treatment of periimplant disease using MD with a single application of Nd:YAG laser. Peri-implant inflammatory parameters (plaque index [PI], bleeding on probing [BOP] and probing depth [PD]) were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 months' follow-up. Periimplant crestal bone loss (CBL) was measured at baseline and at 6 months' follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskall-Wallis and Bonferroni Post hoc tests. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results In both groups, mean age of patients and baseline scores of periimplant PI, BOP and PD were comparable. At 3-month follow-up, scores of periimplant PI, BOP and PD were higher among patients in Group-1 compared with Group-2. At 6-month follow-up, scores of periimplant PI, BOP and PD were comparable among patients in groups 1 and 2. There was no statistically significant difference in periimplant CBL in both groups at all time intervals. Conclusion Nd:YAG laser-assisted non-surgical MD is more effective in reducing periimplant soft tissue inflammatory parameters than MD alone in short-term but not in long-term.