Effects of Er:YAG laser on periodontal therapy

The use of the laser in dentistry has been widening due to its increasing use in surgery and medicine. In the field of periodontology, the most commonly used lasers have been CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers. According to the last reviews reporting the use of lasers in periodontal therapy, these lasers were considered unsuitable for dental treatment, due to various shortcomings, such as the carbonization and severe thermal damages caused on the target and surrounding tissues, and therefore their use has been confined to soft tissue procedures. Technological advances and improvements have increased the choices of the available laser systems. Among them, Er:YAG lasers seem to be of promising use. The Er:YAG laser is a solid-state crystal laser operating in the infrared wavelength (2,940 nm). Due to its high absorbability in water and hydroxyapatite, several studies have shown the effectiveness of this laser for both hard and soft tissue ablation, and its bactericidal effects with less or even no pain under clinical applications. The variety of the potential applications for this laser has been studied and the interest about its use in dental practice has increased among practitioners. This review includes studies regarding the use of Er:YAG laser on hard tissue procedures, such as calculus removal and osseous surgery as well as soft tissue management, like gingivectomy, gingival curettage and melanin removal.