Abstract
Due to various advantageous characteristics such as ablation or vaporization, hemostasis, and bactericidal effect, laser treatment serves as an alternative or adjunctive therapy to conventional mechanical instrumentation in periodontal therapy. Lasers are effective tools for the treatment of periodontitis, which is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection. Recent development of the Er:YAG laser has increased laser applications in periodontal therapy. As it is applicable to both soft and hard tissues, the Er:YAG laser has become a promising laser in periodontics. In this communication, the application of Er:YAG laser for periodontal therapy such as esthetic management of gingival tissue, periodontal pocket treatment including calculus removal, periodontal surgery, and implant therapy are discussed, based on scientific evidence from currently available basic and clinical studies.
