Topic in Oral Health

Periodontology

Gingivitis, periodontitis, and plaque control, including oral hygiene devices and adjunctive therapies.

32 systematic reviews in Periodontology ask 793 questions. 18.7% have no studies to answer them, 17.3% rest on very low certainty evidence and 3.3% reach moderate or high certainty.

Reviews

Questions

793

current versions

No studies

18.7%

Moderate or high

3.3%

No studies 148 · 18.7%Ungraded 429 · 54.1%Very low 137 · 17.3%Low 53 · 6.7%Moderate 14 · 1.8%High 12 · 1.5%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Search questions in Periodontology

Thinnest evidence

All no studies and very low questions

Question	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Patient satisfaction · Adults (> 18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of periodontitis, receiving active (non-surgical anti-infective) treatment Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	No studies reported data for this outcome.	NR	No studies
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after submucosal instrumentation (SI) vs Submucosal instrumentation (SI) alone, or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Quality of life · Adults (> 18 years) with peri-implant mucositis, receiving active treatment Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	Only one study reported evidence for adjunctive aPDT in people with peri-implant disease (Al Rifaiy 2022). Data were only available for two outcomes (PPD and BOP), both reported only at three months. No studies…	NR	No studies
Single preoperative dose of systemic antibiotics (clindamycin 600 mg), total chemo-mechanical debridement and root filling vs Matched placebo, total chemo-mechanical debridement and root filling Swelling at 24 hours · Adults with symptomatic apical periodontitis (no signs of spreading infection or systemic involvement) · 24 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane	No data available for this outcome.	0 studies	No studies
Postoperative systemic antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin/penicillin VK, 7-day course), partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics vs Matched placebo, partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics Pain at 24 hours · Adults with a symptomatic necrotic tooth or localised acute apical abscess (no signs of spreading infection or… · 24 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane	MD -0.03 [-0.53, 0.47]	2 studies · 61 participants	Very low
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after submucosal instrumentation (SI) vs Submucosal instrumentation (SI) alone, or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in gingival recession (REC) · Adults (> 18 years) with peri-implant mucositis, receiving active treatment Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	Only one study reported evidence for adjunctive aPDT in people with peri-implant disease (Al Rifaiy 2022). Data were only available for two outcomes (PPD and BOP), both reported only at three months. No studies…	NR	No studies
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in clinical attachment level (CAL) · Adults (> 18 years) with recurrent periodontitis, receiving supportive (maintenance) periodontal care · 6 months (change from baseline) Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	MD 0.07 [-0.26, 0.40]	2 studies · 85 participants	Very low
Postoperative systemic antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin/penicillin VK, 7-day course), partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics vs Matched placebo, partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics Swelling at 24 hours · Adults with a symptomatic necrotic tooth or localised acute apical abscess (no signs of spreading infection or… · 24 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane	SMD 0.27 [-0.23, 0.78]	2 studies · 62 participants	Very low
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in probing pocket depth (PPD) · Adults (> 18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of periodontitis, receiving active (non-surgical anti-infective) treatment · 6 months (change from baseline) Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	MD 0.52 [0.31, 0.74]	15 studies · 452 participants	Very low
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after submucosal instrumentation (SI) vs Submucosal instrumentation (SI) alone, or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Outcome NR · Adults (> 18 years) with peri-implant mucositis, receiving supportive treatment Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	Planned comparison; no studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found only one study of peri-implant disease (peri-implant mucositis, active treatment) and no studies including people with peri-implantitis…	NR	No studies
Postoperative systemic antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin/penicillin VK, 7-day course), partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics vs Matched placebo, partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics Pain at 72 hours · Adults with a symptomatic necrotic tooth or localised acute apical abscess (no signs of spreading infection or… · 72 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane	MD 0.08 [-0.38, 0.54]	2 studies · 61 participants	Very low
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in bleeding on probing (BOP) · Adults (> 18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of periodontitis, receiving active (non-surgical anti-infective) treatment · 6 months (change from baseline) Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	MD 5.72 [1.62, 9.81]	5 studies · 171 participants	Very low
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after submucosal instrumentation (SI) vs Submucosal instrumentation (SI) alone, or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Outcome NR · Adults (> 18 years) with peri-implantitis, receiving active treatment Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane	Planned comparison; no studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found only one study of peri-implant disease (peri-implant mucositis, active treatment) and no studies including people with peri-implantitis…	NR	No studies