Laser-assisted therapy for peri-implant diseases

Peri-implant disease is a new prevalent biological complication emerged from the popularity of implant therapy. Currently, there is no predictable treatment to manage advanced peri-implantitis lesions. Dental laser has a huge potential for the treatment of peri-implant disease, given that it provides a method to decontaminate implant surface without damaging its microstructures for re-osseointegration. In addition, biosimulation from low-energy laser attenuates the inflammatory status of the peri-implant defect to facilitate re-establishment of homeostasis. There are several wavelengths of dental laser available. Both Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers have shown promising results in vitro, and erbium lasers seem to be the most promising one due to its application on hard tissues. Although a few pilot randomized clinical trials did not show conclusive results, more well-designed controlled trials are warranted to optimize the application of laser-assisted therapy in identifying ideal indications and developing evidence-based protocol.