Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy With ICG-Loaded Nanoparticles for Periodontitis Management

To better understand and treat your gum disease, dentists now use a system that stages its severity and grades its speed, rather than using old labels. The recommended first step is almost always a deep cleaning, which is very effective. However, because some bacteria can hide from cleanings and antibiotics, researchers are exploring a promising light-based treatment. This method uses a safe, light-activated dye and a gentle laser to target and kill bacteria without leading to resistance. To make this treatment even stronger, scientists are testing a way to package the dye inside tiny, biodegradable "containers" that deliver it directly to the germs. The goal of this research is to see if this advanced delivery method works better than the dye alone, hoping to provide a more powerful, non-surgical option to fight gum disease and protect your teeth."

This randomized controlled clinical trial included twenty-seven patients diagnosed with generalized stage III periodontitis, who were randomly allocated into three groups using a computer-generated randomization sequence (www.randomizer.org ). Group I (test group) received non-surgical periodontal therapy followed by the application of indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded polymeric nanoparticles and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Group II (positive control) received non-surgical periodontal therapy with ICG gel application alone and aPDT, whereas Group III (negative control) received non-surgical periodontal therapy only. Following full-mouth supra- and subgingival debridement, baseline clinical measurements and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained. In Groups I and II, after achieving site dryness, the photosensitizer was applied for 10 minutes, rinsed, and activated using a 940 nm diode laser (0.5 W, continuous mode, non-initiated E3 tip, contact mode, 30 seconds per site, six sites per tooth). Standardized oral hygiene instructions were provided to all participants. Clinical and microbiological evaluations were performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment. Clinical parameters including plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level were recorded using a UNC-15 probe. For microbiological analysis, GCF samples from the most affected sites were collected at baseline, immediately post-treatment, 1 week, and 1 month, and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quantify Porphyromonas gingivalis. Samples contaminated with blood or saliva were excluded, and uncontaminated samples were transported in reduced transport fluid (RTF) and cultured under anaerobic conditions for bacterial quantification. The obtained results will be collected, tabulated, and subjected to appropriate statistical analysis