Use of Lasers in Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy

Abstract

The use of dental lasers for treatment of periodontal diseases has been the area of interest in the recent years. Current evidence indicates that the use of lasers for the treatment of adult chronic periodontitis—either used solely or as an adjunct to traditional scaling and root planning therapy—offers minimal benefit. This article which is a peer review of various articles provides a brief explanation of the mechanism behind soft tissue lasers. The use of laser therapy in addition to traditional nonsurgical periodontal treatment in the management of periodontal diseases is reviewed. Lasers have been applied for hard and soft tissue debridement, as also for the bacterial load reduction from the periodontal pocket. Although, subgingival application of few of them during nonsurgical periodontal therapy can result in undesired outcomes, even when using manufacturer-recommended parameters. Over the past 20 years the research conducted regarding the clinical application of lasers is very limited. This article tries to fill in the void by reviewing the current and potential application of laser therapy. It has in turn proven to be a promising field in nonsurgical periodontal treatment of diseases.