Understanding Low-Level Laser Therapy in Periodontal Care

Periodontitis is an infectious oral disease characterized by periodontal pocket formation, clinical attachment loss, and alveolar bone loss. Treatment goals focus on eliminating infection, arresting disease progression, and supporting periodontal tissue regeneration. Smoking is a recognized major risk factor for periodontitis, influencing both its onset and progression. Interestingly, smokers often exhibit reduced clinical signs of gingival inflammation and bleeding on probing compared to non-smokers, possibly masking disease severity. Moreover, smoking adversely affects outcomes of both non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapies, often leading to poorer healing and increased risk of disease recurrence. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), when used as an adjunct to conventional Scaling and Root Planing (SRP), has demonstrated potential to enhance wound healing through biostimulatory effects on various cell and tissue types. This book emphasizes on the effects including promotion of angiogenesis, stimulating growth factor release (such as Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1, TGF-β1), and increasing collagen synthesis, all of which contribute to improved tissue repair.