Abstract

PENA RUIZ, Tatiana; DELGADO RAMOS, Ariel  and  GONZALEZ LORENZO, Ariadna. Helium-neon laser combined with 0.2% chlorhexidine: Clinical and microbiological effects in the treatment of chronic gingivitis.. Rev Cubana Estomatol [online]. 2007, vol.44, n.3. ISSN 0034-7507.

Chronic gingivitis is one of the most common periodontal diseases that is characterized by chronic inflammation, tumefaction, redness and bleeding. The main risk factor is gingival sulcus microbiota that is essential but not enough to unleash it.  A phase II controlled randomized blind clinical/therapeutical assay was conducted to evaluate the clinical and microbiological effects of the combined treatment based on helium-neon laser (He-Ne) with 0.2% chlorhexidine. All the patients were initially treated; after a month, they were randomly distributed into two groups, that is, the study group received a helium-neon laser plus 0.2% chlorhexidine combination and the control group was treated with 0.2% chlorhexidine only.  They were evaluated at 15th, 30th  and 45th  days by using clinical and microbiological efficacy criteria. The clinical results were satisfactory in the study group where morphotypes I, characterized by Gram-negative and Gram-positive cocci and compatible with a healthy periodontium, prevailed . Adverse events were minimal, all of them related to somnolence.

Keywords : helium-neon laser; chlorhexidine; clinical effects; microbiological effects; chronic gingivitis.