Gašpirc Boris
Head of the Department of Oral Disease and Periodontology at the Ljubljana University Medical Center’s Dental Clinic.
The Slovenian representative delegate for the WFLD.
The president of the Association of Oral Disease, Dental Implantology and Periodontology of Slovenia.
Professional member of numerous domestic and international organizations.
Leading expert in laser dentistry and a regular lecturer and presenter at domestic and international conferences, mainly covering the use of lasers in periodontology.
Workshop: TwinLight – Perio, Gingivectomies, Frenectomies, Gingival Recession Coverage
For many intraoral soft tissue surgical procedures, lasers have become a reliable and desirable alternative to traditional blade surgery. However, the use of dental lasers in periodontal therapy is still controversial. Research has shown that non-surgical periodontal treatments with an Er:YAG laser could be a promising alternative to reduce and control the proliferation of microorganisms in persistent periodontitis. The Er:YAG laser ablates periodontopathic bacteria by thermal vaporisation, and its bactericidal effect on diseased root surfaces appears superior to that of ultrasonic scaler. Combined laser treatment with Er:YAG and Nd:YAG effectively improves periodontal clinical parameters and could be an alternative to conventional flap surgery. The frenum is a mucosal fold that connects the lip and cheek to the alveolar mucosa, gingiva and underlying periosteum. The frenulum can compromise the health of the gingiva if it is too close to the gingival margin, either due to a disruption in plaque control or muscle pull. In addition, the maxillary frenulum may cause aesthetic concerns or compromise the orthodontic outcome in a midline diastema, causing recurrence after treatment. Treatment of such a deviated frenulum is by conventional blade or erbium or neodymium laser frenectomy or frenotomy. Periodontal plastic surgery is used to restore the form and function of the gum tissue, the periodontal ligament and the bone supporting the teeth or a single tooth. Most periodontal aesthetic procedures fall into one of the following areas: Crown lengthening, alveolar ridge preservation/augmentation, soft tissue grafts and correction of an open interproximal space. Soft tissue abnormalities, with the exception of loss of the interproximal papilla, can be predictably corrected, improving aesthetics and even creating restorative possibilities. In addition to a discussion of conventional periodontal plastic surgery, an overview of possible laser-assisted periodontal plastic procedures will be presented. The Er:YAG laser is safe and suitable for aesthetic periodontal soft tissue treatment as it ablates the soft tissue significantly and allows for fast and favourable wound healing.