Finally! Three years after beginning the human histology at LSU with Ray Yukna, the study has been published! It will be presented this June at the International Association of Dental research (IADR) in Sweden. It’s on-line at:

http://iadr.confex.com/iadr/2003Goteborg/techprogram/abstract_34208.htm

1735 Laser-assisted Periodontal Regeneration in Humans

R.A. YUKNA, G.H. EVANS, S. VASTARDIS, and R.F. CARR, Louisiana State University, New Orlreans, USA

Objective: The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) has been advocated for the sulcular debridement of periodontal pockets with the goal of obtaining new attachment. Clinical case reports have reported favorable clinical results, but there is no human histologic proof of regeneration.

Methods: 3 patients with 2 single-rooted teeth with moderate-advanced chronic periodontitis associated with subgingival calculus deposits were enrolled. Occlusal adjustment and direct bond extracoronal splinting was performed. Under local anesthesia, a 1/4 round bur notch was placed at the apical extent of calculus as carefully as possible. One of each pair of teeth received Nd:YAG laser treatment of the inner pocket wall to remove the pocket epithelium (laser settings were 3 watts, 150 pulses/second, 10 hz). Both teeth were then aggressively scaled/root planed with an ultrasonic scaler. The pocket of the test tooth was lased again to coagulate any blood present and to form a pocket seal. Triple antibiotic ointment and a light cured dressing was placed. Control teeth received all of the above except the laser treatment. The patients were seen every 10 days for the first month, then at 2 and 3 months, at which time the treated teeth were removed en bloc for histologic processing. Decalcified step serial sections were stained with H & E.

Results: 2 of the 3 LANAP treated specimens showed new cementum, new bone, and new periodontal ligament in and coronal to the notch. The control teeth had a long junctional epithelium with no evidence of regeneration. There was no evidence of any adverse pulpal or tooth surface changes in either specimen.

Conclusions: This report supports the proof of principle that LANAP can be associated with periodontal regeneration on a diseased root surface in humans.

Supported by Millennium Dental Technologies and the Louisiana Periodontics Support Fund.

Seq #178 – Therapeutic Intervention – Adjunctive Treatment 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, Friday, 27 June 2003 Svenska Massan Exhibition Hall B

Back to the Periodontal Research – Therapy Program

Back to the 81st General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (June 25-28, 2003)