The diode laser as coadyuvant therapy in the non-surgical conventional treatment of peri-implant mucositis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

The present study systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCT) to investigate the effect of diode laser therapy in the management of peri-implant mucositis. The electronic databases were searched until January 2020. Outcome measures were bleeding on probing (BOP), plaque index (PI) and probing depth (PD). The addressed PICO question was: Is the diode laser therapy effective reducing the signs of inflammation as an adjunctive element in the non-surgical treatment of peri-implant mucositis?.Diode laser as coadyuvant therapy significantly reduced plaque index (SMD: -1.24; -0.47/-1.53) but not in bleeding on probing (SMD: -0.84; -0.31/-1.53) or probing pocket depth (SMD: -1.36; -0.28/-1.69). Non-statistically significant reductions in peri-implant bleeding on probing and in probing pocket depth were also observed in the test groups of most studies included in the meta-analysis.The results should be interpreted cautiously due to the great heterogeneity in the methodology of the studies included in the systematic review. However the meta-analysis suggests that the use of diode lasers, as an adjunct in conventional non-surgical treatment of peri-implant mucositis, is promising in reducing the clinical signs of peri-implant mucositis, especially reducing the perii-implant plaque index