The Use of Nd: YAG Laser Therapy Following Initial Treatment of Periodontitis

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined use of Nd: YAG laser therapy with ultrasonic instrumentation on patients with residual pocketing after initial periodontal therapy. Background. Research has shown that the Nd: YAG laser has the ability to kill bacteria, ablate soft tissues, achieve hemostasis, and promote healing. Some studies indicate that when the Nd: YAG is used as an adjunct to mechanical debridement the clinical signs of periodontal disease are significantly reduced. However, randomized, controlled studies are lacking. Methods. Twenty patients were treated in split mouth design in which the test side received ultrasonic debridement in combination with use of Nd: YAG laser therapy and the control side received ultrasonic debridement alone. Results. Both groups showed reduction in probing depths, bleeding index, gingival index and plaque score with the laser group showing a slightly greater reduction in the aforementioned categories. However, probing depths greater than 5 mm have remained the same in both groups. Conclusion. The use of laser therapy in combination 13 with ultrasonic debridement may be useful in improving gingival index, bleeding index and probing depths less than 5 mm after initial therapy. Grant. This study was funded by the NSU Health Professions Grants.