Canadian Academy of Periodontology on lasers in periodontics

The Canadian Academy of Periodontology (CAP) does not recommend or support the use of lasers in the treatment of periodontal disease.

The CAP has adopted this position because long-term comparative clinical studies have not been completed on the efficacy of lasers in the treatment of periodontal disease.

In addition, claims that laser surgery causes less post-operative pain than traditional surgery have not been documented with controlled clinical trials and therefore remain unsubstantiated.

It is important to note that lasers have the potential to cause permanent thermal damage to bone and tooth root structure if used inappropriately.

The position of the CAP on laser treatment is similar to that of the American Academy of Periodontology as set out in “Lasers in Periodontics”, which may be reviewed in detail at http://www.perio.org/resources-products/pdf/lr-lasers.pdf.