The elimination of bacteria and biofilms in periodontal disease via the thermal laser

The breakdown of oral health is in almost all cases due to microbial infiltration; even in cases of neuromuscular failure due to faulty occlusion, microorganisms will take advantage of the body’s stress and fatigue. Bacteria rarely travel alone or in free-floating plankton-like forms; instead they aggregate in colonies, in what are called microbial biofilms. These biofilms are nearly impossible to decimate with conventional methods alone, especially those of scaling, root planning, endodontic reaming, anti-microbial solutions and drug therapy. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the laser’s innate capacity to destroy microorganisms and the biofilms that house and protect them in periodontal disease. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.