Laser doppler flowmetry as a diagnostic tool to detect gingival inflammation: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate whether laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) as a diagnostic tool is effective in detecting gingival inflammation. Methods: This review was conducted and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (registration number CRD42025633576). Two authors independently performed searches in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Results: In total, 1317 studies were identified, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. All studies compared perfusion with a healthy control group, seven included a gingivitis group, five included patients with periodontitis, and none included patients with peri-implant disease. Higher blood flow values were found in patients with chronic gingivitis compared to healthy controls, while patients with experimental gingivitis showed no significant difference. Blood flow values in patients with periodontitis showed controversial results. Conclusions: LDF shows potential utility in detecting chronic gingival inflammation and altered perfusion patterns between healthy individuals and those with gingival or periodontal inflammation. However, reliably grading perfusion across disease stages and distinguishing between acute gingivitis and chronic periodontitis remains challenging. Notably, there is a lack of data regarding the use of LDF in peri-implant tissues, representing a significant gap in current research. At present, established clinical parameters such as probing depth and bleeding on probing (BOP), remain the gold standard in routine periodontal diagnostics.