2011 Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 48-54
The Er:YAG laser has been widely applied in dental treatments such as caries therapy, periodontal therapy, endodontic therapy, and dental implant therapy and demonstrated the excellent clinical effects since the laser is applicable to both soft and hard tissues. In the field of implant therapy, the Er:YAG laser can be applied to the following stages: gingivectomy, osseous surgery for implant bed preparation and LLLT for promotion of wound healing in the first phase of implant therapy, and gingival and bone tissue preparation for uncoverage of submerged implants in the second phase, and treatment of peri-implant lesions in the maintenance stage. Thus, currently the Er:YAG laser has become a promising laser in implant therapy and the further development of applications is expected. In the present paper, the clinical applications of the Er:YAG laser are introduced with the results of recent basic studies.
