Adjunctive Effect of Photodynamic Therapy on Halitosis

December 18, 2025 updated by: Fernando O Costa, Federal University of Minas Gerais
The present study aims to evaluate bad breath in patients undergoing gingival treatment combined with tongue scraping and laser and to assess its potential benefits for both periodontal and microbiological condition. Firs patients will be selected among those who participated in a privies study. Additional patients will be also invited. They must have gum disease and bad breath. Treatments will be completed within 24 hours and oral samples will be collected with thin paper points. Bad breath will be evaluated by a professional and a specific gas machine.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The present study aims to evaluate halitosis in patients undergoing non-surgical periodontal therapy [(Full-mouth disinfection (FMD) combined with tongue scraping and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), and to assess its potential benefits for both periodontal and microbiological condition. A pilot study will be performed with participants who took part almost 10 years ago in the study NCT02368678. They will be invited by phone contact. In addition, new participants will be recruited by convenience in dental clinics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais until completion of 20 participants per group. Individuals with stage III periodontitis and halitosis (organoleptic method > 2), will be allocated into two periodontal treatment groups. Halitosis will be assessed using the organoleptic method and gas chromatography (OralChroma device) at three time points: before and after treatments. Microbiological samples will be collected before and after treatments from periodontal pockets and pooled samples from the tongue dorsum. These samples will be analyzed by using real-time PCR (q-PCR) aiming at detecting target bacterial species.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • Minas Gerais
      • Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 31270-901
        • Federal University of Minas Gerais, Dental School

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • self-reported halitosis;
  • organoleptic score >2;
  • stage III periodontitis;
  • at least 14 teeth.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • smokers or former smokers;
  • individuals diagnosed with diabetes and/or immune diseases;
  • pregnant or lactating women;
  • individuals with removable partial dentures and/or fixed or removable orthodontic appliances;
  • systemic use of antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs in the last three months; - individuals who required prophylactic antibiotics for periodontal exams and treatments;
  • individuals who regularly used or had used any type of mouthwash in the past three months;
  • individuals who underwent periodontal treatment in the six months prior to the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Full-mouth scaling
Full-mouth ultrasonic and manual periodontal instrumentation
Procedure: full-mouth scaling
Full-mouth scaling within 24 hours, divided into two sessions of ultrasonic instrumentation followed by manual supra- and subgingival scaling and root planing. Tongue cleaning was performed with a tongue scraper.
Experimental: Full-mouth scaling combined with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy
Full-mouth ultrasonic and manual periodontal instrumentation combined with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy applied to tongue dorsum and periodontal pockets
Radiation: Full-mouth scaling combined with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy
After full-mouth scaling procedures antimicrobial photodynamic therapy was carried out using a laser-activated disinfection device with a red laser emission (wavelength: 630 nm, irradiance: 2000-4000 mW/cm², spot size at the probe tip: 8 mm diameter) and high-viscosity methylene blue gel (0.1 mg/mL) which was applied at six spots on the tongue dorsum. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy was also applied iIn sites with altered periodontal pocket depth (≥ 4mm). The dye remained in the pockets for 10 minutes to ensure full absorption and its excess was rinsed with sterile saline after laser exposure.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
sulfur volatile compounds changes
Time Frame: baseline versus 21 and 45 days after treatment
pre and post-treatment changes in levels (parts per billion) of CH3SH, a sulfur volatile compound
baseline versus 21 and 45 days after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in periodontal probing depth
Time Frame: baseline versus 45 days after treatment
Pre and pos-treatment changes in periodontal pocket depth (mm)
baseline versus 45 days after treatment
Changes in organoleptic testing
Time Frame: Baseline versus 45 days after treatment
Pre and post-treatment changes in organoleptic scores
Baseline versus 45 days after treatment
Changes in tongue total bacteria count
Time Frame: baseline versus 45 days after treatment
Pre- and post-treatment changes in total bacteria counts from tongue dorsal samples
baseline versus 45 days after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Federal University of Minas Gerais

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Fernando O Costa, doctorate, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Dental School

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 8, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 22, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 2, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 2, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 22, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 18, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 30378613.5.0000.5149
  • NTC02368678 (Registry Identifier: clinicaltrials.gov)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data will be analyzed by group and using numerical codes avoiding individual personal data identification. Data access will be protected by password.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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