Conclusions
PD
PERIODONTITIS
Taking into consideration the limitations found in the present study, it can be concluded that the adjunctive use of ICG-aPDT to FMUD in initial moderate-deep pockets indicated a limited clinical and microbiological added benefit at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. No significant differences between the groups were observed in the changes of any clinical parameter. However, the test group showed a significantly higher PD reduction in initial deep pockets as well as a significantly higher percentage of closed (particularly deep) pockets at 6 months. Further, RCTs performed on larger patient populations are required to confirm these findings and to investigate the possible factors affecting the clinical efficacy (e.g. number of applications, laser settings) in order to clarify whether there is a rationale for the application of this aPDT protocol in conjunction with FMUD for the treatment of periodontitis.