Laser therapy as an effective method for implant surface decontamination: a histomorphometric study in rats

To the best of the authors' knowledge, a standard protocol for treating peri-implantitis is not yet established.

A total of 150 titanium disks with smooth or rough surfaces contaminated with microbial biofilm were implanted subcutaneously in rats after undergoing one of three treatments: 1) low-intensity laser (LIL); 2) antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT); or 3) toluidine blue O (TBO). Sterile and contaminated disks served as negative (NC) and positive (C) control groups, respectively. After days 7, 28, and 84, tissue inflammation was evaluated microscopically by measuring the density of collagen fibers (degree of fibrosis) and concentration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

Surface texture did not affect the degree of inflammation, but the area of reactive tissue was significantly greater for rough implants (2.6 ± 3.7 × 10(6) µm(2)) than for smooth ones (1.9 ± 2.6 × 10(6) µm(2); P = 0.0377). Group C presented the lowest and group NC presented the highest degree of fibrosis with significance only after day 7; these groups had the highest and lowest scores, respectively, for degree of inflammation. Group C showed the largest area of reactive tissue (9.11 ± 2.10 × 10(6) µm(2)), but it was not significantly larger than group LIL (P = 0.3031) and group TBO (P = 0.1333). Group aPDT showed the smallest area (4.34 ± 1.49 × 10(6) µm(2)) of reactive tissue among the treatment groups. After day 28, groups LIL, aPDT, TBO, and C resembled group NC in all the studied parameters.

Group aPDT showed more favorable results in parameter area of reactive tissue than the other methods after day 7, but over longer time periods all methods produced outcomes equivalent to sterile implants.