Lasers in Periodontal Therapy

Laser use in dentistry and medicine is nothing new. In fact, lasers have been used in dentistry to some degree or another for the past twenty years in different capacities. Originally seeing their use for painless decay removal and cavity preparation, they have expanded to include treatment for periodontal disease and even root canal therapy.

Their use in the treatment of periodontal disease, however, is a rather new endeavor. The idea behind use in periodontal disease treatment involves the removal of periodontally diseased tissue, which is pigmented differently than healthy tissue, thereby encouraging adherence of healthy tissue to the tooth root. Laser therapy occurs in steps or stages, allowing the tissue to heal incrementally up the root surface. Treatment by proven methods works in a similar fashion, by removing diseased tissue, however, is not as “specific” to the diseased tissue. The diseased tissue in traditional methods is forced to heal all at once, not necessarily encouraging the tissue to adhere to the root surface in the same stepwise fashion as laser therapy.

Both methods require removal of bacterial deposits (Deep Cleanings) from the root surface so that tissue may heal to the root surface. The big question is, however, does each method work? The answer, unfortunately, is not so straight forward...

Traditional treatment methods have a proven track record over many years of saving and keeping teeth. Lasers, however, do not have the benefit of a track record or a substantial body of peer-reviewed research showing that they work - at least as well as proven methods for treatment of periodontal disease. There are many different brands, wavelengths and types of lasers available for treatment of periodontal disease, and there has not been a consistent consensus as to the benefit of utilizing laser technology in periodontal therapy. The most recent review of lasers in the periodontal literature by Dr. Charles Cobb came to the conclusion “Simply put, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that any specific wavelength of laser is superior to the traditional modalities of therapy.”

All in all, lasers in treatment of periodontal disease are showing some promise for treatment, however, for now they remain an unproven method for treatment and simply a “tool in the toolbox”, rather than the definitive solution to periodontal disease.

Many things should be considered before choosing a method of treatment with your doctor, including experience with traditional, as well as new modalities of treatment (surgery vs. laser, etc.), amount of training (general dentist vs. periodontist) and how much treatment for periodontal disease do they perform - is treatment for periodontal disease the focus of their practice?

We are here to help you with every treatment decision that you make. If you have questions as to what method of treatment is right for your level of periodontal disease, please feel free to contact us for a comprehensive examination.