Clinical Evaluation of Laser Therapy Used as an Adjunct to Non-Surgical Treatment of Gum Disease

The use of lasers to treat various problems in dentistry is growing as it has in medicine. One application is the use of lasers to treat periodontal disease. It has been suggested that the laser may reduce the need for surgical treatment by reducing pockets. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of laser treatment for periodontal disease. Laser therapy will be used in addition to traditional non-surgical scaling and root planing (deep cleaning). The information obtained from this study will provide an objective assessment of adjunctive laser therapy compared to conventional periodontal therapy and will attempt to show the benefits, if any, lasers can provide in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease.