A study aimed to assess the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an adjunct to oral debridement (OD) in improving the clinical, microbiological, and pain aspects in individuals suffering from gingivitis.

The study involved volunteers diagnosed with necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, who were divided into 2 groups: Group-OD + PDT received a combination of PDT and OD, while Group-OD underwent OD alone. Evaluation of clinical inflammatory parameters such as probing depth (PD), full mouth bleeding scores (FMBS), and full mouth plaque scores (FMPS) was done.

Utilizing the polymerase chain reaction technique, an assessment of the presence of Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) and Fusobacterium nucleatum  (F. nucleatum) was done. With the aid of different pain scales, pain levels were examined.

At the 12-week follow-up, the group that received PDT + OD demonstrated a greater decline in FMPS, FMBS, and in the counts of P. intermedia and F. nucleatum in comparison with the group that underwent OD alone. At 12 weeks, the PDT + OD group reported substantially reduced pain scores.

Compared to dental scaling as a standalone treatment, PDT demonstrated greater efficacy in necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis-affected patients.