Periodontitis has been a difficult disease to deal with in both active treatment and long-term maintenance.  Conventional treatment methods have definite limitations and drawbacks.  There is now a laser treatment alternative with multiple levels of FDA certification, a defined and patented treatment protocol and a growing body of evidence.  This method addresses and overcomes many of the difficulties associated with conventional periodontal treatments.  This presentation will discuss treatment rationale, procedure, case results and historical perspective for the laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP).

Learning Objectives:

     •  Describe the nature, etiology, progression of periodontitis and associated difficulties with conventional therapies
     •  Discuss the currently available dental lasers.  Wavelength is the key to understanding effectiveness.
     •  Discuss LANAP -- the development, the procedure and the pyramid of evidence
     •  Attendees will learn how to design an ideal treatment system for periodontal disease using the LANAP protocol