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. 2020 Nov 10;25(2):375–391. doi: 10.1007/s00784-020-03584-y

Table 2.

Characteristics of studies on laser monotherapy compared with non-surgical instrumentation

First author (year) Study
type
design
n center
industrial funding
calibration		 Patient characteristics
n patients (n female)
mean age ± SD (range)
periodontal diagnosis
smoking status
n-treated teeth/sites per treatment arm		 Laser
laser type (product name)
material of tip (diameter)
application time/site		 Physical data
laser power
laser energy
irradiation time
wavelength
laser intensity
laser density		 Treatment Follow-up
time points
treatment
adverse effects
Schwarz (2001)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

n.r.

examiner calibrated

20 patients (14 female)

54 (28-79)

moderate to advanced periodontal disease

n.r.

34 maxillary and 21 mandibular single and multirooted teeth/330 sites

Er:YAG laser

(KEYII, KaVo, Biberach, Germany)

Fiber tip 0.5 × 1.65 (136 mJ/pulse) and 0.5 × 1.1 (114 mJ/pulse)

5 min for single-rooted, 10 min for multi-rooted teeth

n.r.

160 mJ/pulse, 10 Hz

n.r.

2.94 μm

n.r.

n.r.

test group: Er:YAG laser

control group: SRP (hand)

3 and 6 months

OHI and supragingival scaling at 3, 6 months

none
Schwarz (2003)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

n.r.

examiner calibrated

20 patients (14 female)

n.r.

moderate to advanced periodontal disease

n.r.

34 maxillary and 21 mandibular single and multirooted teeth/330 sites

Er:YAG laser

(KEYII, KaVo, Biberach, Germany)

Fiber tip 0.5 × 1.65 (136 mJ/pulse) and 0.5 × 1.1 (114 mJ/pulse)

5 min for single-rooted, 10 min for multi-rooted teeth

n.r.

160 mJ/pulse, 10 Hz

n.r.

2.94 μm

n.r.

n.r.

test group: Er:YAG laser

control group: SRP (hand)

12 and 24 months

OHI and supragingival scaling at 3, 6,12, 18, and 24 months

none
Sculean (2004)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

n.r.

examiner calibrated

20 patients (n.r.)

51 (29–62)

Moderate to advanced periodontal disease

n.r.

ErYAG: single-rooted: 407 sites

multi-rooted: 269 sites

US: single-rooted:383 sites

multi-rooted:247 sites

Er:YAG laser

(KEY3, KaVo, Biberach, Germany) with a calculus detection system with fluorescence induced by 655 nm InGaAsP diode laser

Fiber tip 0.5 x 1.65 (136 mJ/pulse) and 0.5 x 1.1 (114 mJ/pulse)

5 min for single-rooted, 9 min for multi-rooted teeth

n.r.

160 mJ/pulse,

10 Hz

n.r.

2.94 μm

n.r.

n.r.

test group: Er:YAG with a calculus detection system with fluorescence induced by 655 nm InGaAsP diode laser

control group: SRP (ultrasonic)

3 and 6 months

OHI and supragingival scaling at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks

none
Crespi (2007)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

none

examiner calibrated

25 patients (15 female)

53 (37-65)

Moderate to advanced ChP

n.r.

65 single-rooted, 35 multi-rooted teeth / 600 sites

Er:YAG laser (HOYA ConBio, Fremont, CA, USA)

Chisel shaped tip with 400 μm in diameter

5 min for single and 9 min for multi-rooted teeth

n.r.

160 μJ/pulse,

10 Hz

n.r.

2.94 μm

n.r.

94 J/cm2

test group: Er:YAG laser

control group: SRP (ultrasonic)

3, 12 and 24 months

OHI and supragingival scaling at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months

n.r.
Kamma (2009)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

none

examiner calibrated

30 patients (16 female)

41.8 ± 6.2

AgP

18 smokers, 12 non-smokers

One quadrant

diode laser

(SmilePro980™; Biolitec, Jena, Germany)

Flexible glass fiber optic guide with a 300-μm spot diameter

2 W

n.r.

30 sec/site

980 nm

2830 W/cm2

94.3 J/cm2

test group: laser (alone)

SRP(hand) + laser

control group: SRP (hand)

No treatment

Weeks: 2–12–24

n.r.

n.r.
Rotundo (2010)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

none

examiner calibrated

27 patients (18 female)

50.5 ± 11.7

ChP

< 10 cig./day

One quadrant

Er:YAG laser

(Smart 2940 Plus, DEKA M.E.L.A. srl, Calenzano, Florence, Italy)

Conic fiber tip of 0.5 mm diameter

n.r.

n.r.

150 mJ/pulse,

10 Hz

n.r.

2.94 μm

n.r.

n.r.

test groups: Er:YAG(alone)

SRP (hand + ultrasonic) + Er:YAG

control group: SRP (hand and ultrasonic)

Weeks: 1–4–12–24

OHI and supragingival scaling at 3 and 6 months;

5 peridontal abscesses, 2 teeth lost. 1 patient with fever
Wang (2017)

RCT

split-mouth

single-center

none

examiner calibrated

27 patients (14 female)

43.6 ± 8.7 (28-56)

ChP

Non-smokers

half-mouth

304 teeth/1087 sites in the test group and 308 teeth/1122 sites in the SRP group

PPD ≥ 4 mm

Er:YAG laser (LAEDL001.1, Doctor Smile,Italy)

Chisel-shaped fiber tip

(1.1 mm × 0.5 mm)

Up to 6 W

160 mJ/pulse

10 Hz

n.r.

2940 nm

n.r.

n.r.

test group:

Er:YAG laser

control group:

SRP (hand an ultrasonic)

6 weeks–3–6 months

OHI and supragingival debridement (ultrasound cleaning and polishing); none
Grzech-Lesniak (2018)

RCT

parallel

single-center

none

n.r.

60 patients (34 female)

mean age 49.3 ± 11.6 (31-79)

ChP

Non-smokers

65 teeth in the SRP group, 65 teeth in the Er group, and 63 teeth in the NdErNd group

Er:YAG laser (LightWalker, Fotona d.o.o., Slovenia)

fiber tip diameter 400 μm

Nd:YAG laser (LightWalk, Fotona d.o.o., Slovenia)

fiber tip diameter 300 μm

Er:YAG n.r.

Nd:YAG 10-30 sec/tooth

Er:YAG: 2.5 W, 20 Hz

40 mJ/pulse

100 μs

Nd:YAG 100 μs

Er:YAG 2940 nm

Nd:YAG 1064 nm

n.r.

n.r

test groups: Er:YAG

Er:YAG and Nd:YAG

For Er:YAG and Nd YAG group additional two sessions of Nd:YAG treatmets in 7-day interval

control group: SRP (hand)

Monthly

OHI and supragingival scaling

n.r.