A total of 30 patients with three-walled periodontal intrabony defects adjacent to implant sites were treated with the combination therapy. Patients with three-walled intrabony defects were divided into two groups according to the depth of the intrabony pocket between the implant and natural teeth. Evaluation of wound healing was performed 10 days after the operation, and bone augmentation was evaluated 6 months after the operation.

Primary healing in group 1 was 92.31%, primary healing in group 2 was 82.35%. No significant difference was observed between the two groups (P>0.05). Bone augmentation in group 1 and group 2 were (2.85±1.81), (4.92±2.22) mm. There was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). New bone growth occurred more slowly in group 1 (0.70 mm±0.32 mm) than in group 2 (1.25 mm±0.47 mm) (P>0.05). Probe depths (PD), clinical attachment levels (CAL), and sulcus bleeding indices (SBI) showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The one-year survival rate of natural tooth in group 1 and group 2 were 100%, 94.2%, and the one-year survival rate of implants in both groups was 100%.

The effect of bone augmentation with combination therapy was more ideal in group 2 than in group 1. Implant placement with combination therapy may be a viable technique to reconstruct three-walled intrabony defects due to the space maintenance provided by implants and bone grafts and the good root surface biocompatibility provided by the Er:YAG laser and EDTA.