Clinical and glycemic level evaluation of the efficacy of diode laser and antibiotics with scaling and root planing in treating chronic periodontitis patients with diabetes

Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the random blood sugar (RBS) level from gingival crevicular blood (GCB) and finger-prick blood and to evaluate the effectiveness of scaling and root planing (SRP) with the adjunctive use of diode laser (DL) and antibiotics in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients with diabetes. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients were included in the study and divided into three groups, 20 in each group. SRP, SRP with adjunctive use of antibiotic, and SRP with adjunctive use of DL were done in patients belonging to Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Results: The RBS values were significant in all the three groups at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. GCB values were significant only in Group B and Group C at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. Data obtained from all three groups have revealed a strong correlation in the posttreatment reduction of glucose levels in GCB and blood sample obtained using finger-prick method. Conclusions: The results show that DL treatment can provide better clinical results when used as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal treatment in CP patients with diabetes. Moreover, less invasive technique to measure patient's blood glucose level aids the periodontist to better assess the glycemic control which, in turn, contributes to the success of periodontal therapy. On the basis of the results of this study, GCB is a useful aid for testing blood glucose during routine periodontal therapy.