Phototherapies used for treating peri-implant diseases (PIDs)

This paper is a highlight of the paper by Shahbazi et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology. In that systematic review with meta-analysis study, the authors selected a total of 47 papers for the systematic review, and from those, 14 papers were eligible for the meta-analysis. The papers included were based on the adjunctive treatment of peri-implant diseases (PIDs) by the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT), photobiomodulation (LLLT), hyperlight, and high-power lasers in combination with mechanical debridement (MD) used as routine treatment. The clinical findings promoted by the adjunctive treatment based on the phototherapies over the peri-implant diseases were investigated and demonstrated through the literature retrieved and discussed. Photodynamic therapy, photobiomodulation, hyperlight, and high-power lasers used as adjunctive treatments to the mechanical debridement rendered significant impact on different clinical outcomes for both mucositis and peri-implantitis diseases. Photodynamic therapy was the most common phototherapy used in the different studies, and it was capable of contributing to the improvement of important clinical parameters such as: BL (Bone Loss), BoP (Bleeding on Probing), CAL (Clinical Attachment Loss), and PD (Probing Depth); however, these improvements seem to be restricted to short-term evaluation. Yet, after long-term follow-ups, the combined use of phototherapies seems to be similar to those from the conventional treatment, especially MD alone. Among the adjunctive phototherapies discussed by Shahbazi et al., PDT and LLLT seem to be more realistic to be used in the daily clinical setting, especially because they can be more accessible to the clinicians.