Clinical and histological evaluation of the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy used in addition to antibiotic therapy in pericoronitis treatment

Background: Although antimicrobial efficacy of photodynamic therapy has been studied several times, there is no study investigating its efficacy on pericoronitis. This study aimed to determine whether antimicrobial photodynamic therapy combined with antibiotic therapy is clinically and histologically superior to antibiotic therapy alone in pericoronitis treatment.

Methods: Patients (n = 40) with pericoronitis were divided into two groups (20 patients for each) to receive either antibiotic + indocyanine green + 810 nm wavelength diode laser (antimicrobial photodynamic therapy group) or antibiotic alone. Initial biopsy samples were obtained from the affected tissue of the patients at their first presentation to the clinic before any intervention. The second biopsy samples were obtained on the 3rd day of treatment in both groups from the tissue part not biopsied before; tooth extraction was then performed. All tissue samples were histologically examined to assess inflammatory cell response. Patients' pain (using Visual Analogue Scale) and lymphadenopathy (presence or absence) were clinically evaluated in the first 3 days and on the 7th day of treatment.

Results: In the antimicrobial photodynamic therapy group, 100% improvement was achieved regarding pain and lymphadenopathy at the end of the 7th day. Comparison of the inflammatory cell scores of the 2nd biopsy samples between the antibiotic alone and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy groups revealed a significant difference in favor of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy group.

Conclusions: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy combined with antibiotic therapy for pericoronitis treatment was found to be more successful as compared with the antibiotic therapy alone regarding clinical and histological outcomes.