Photodynamic therapy (PDT) works no better than scaling and root planing for periodontitis, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Periodontology (August 28, 2009).
With PDT, clinicians apply a light-sensitive drug to the treatment area, then shine a light or laser on it. The combination sets off a phototoxic reaction that destroys bacteria or cancer cells, depending on the target. The FDA first approved PDT in 1999 to treat precancerous skin lesions of the face or scalp.
In the review, University of Toronto researchers found five clinical trials in which PDT was compared to scaling and root planing. "Photodynamic therapy as an independent treatment or as an adjunct to scaling and root planing was not superior to control treatment of scaling and root planing," they concluded. "Therefore, the routine use of PDT for clinical management of periodontitis cannot be recommended."
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