Abstract
The application of lasers in medicine and dentistry is based on the interaction between biological tissues and laser light radiation. Shortly after Maiman and colleagues (USA) developed the first functional solid-state laser in 1960, the initial medical applications of lasers were explored.
The use of lasers in dentistry can also be traced back to 1965. As frequently the introduction of novel therapeutic procedures in medicine, the new methodology initially saw a comparatively widespread, and at times uncritical, application. Only gradually did fields such as ophthalmology, dermatology, vascular malformations, and other surgical applications emerge as primary indications for lasers within medicine.
In dentistry, the focus was predominantly on the potential of lasers for painless cavity preparation, eliminating the unpleasant side effects of traditional ‘drilling’. However, due to device sizes and costs, such therapeutic approaches were initially largely restricted to scientific research. It was not until approximately 1989 that the adoption of lasers in American and German dental practices gradually commenced.
In addition to laser therapy itself, diagnostic laser applications in medicine and dentistry must also be taken into account. Furthermore, other laser applications, such as the processing of biomaterials, are gaining increasing importance. This presentation aims to show the current focal points and intersections of laser applications in medicine and dentistry.
A look beyond national borders reveals that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addresses the use of lasers in medicine and dentistry in detail on its website. It is striking that among the four main areas of laser application in medicine, dental therapies—such as endodontic or periodontal procedures, teeth whitening, or oral surgery indications—are mentioned as a matter of course. This is noteworthy because a quasi-official listing of dental laser therapy alongside other medical laser applications does not exist in Germany.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the evolution of laser applications in medicine and dentistry.
- Explain the principles of laser–tissue interaction in clinical practice.
- Identify current therapeutic and diagnostic applications of dental lasers.
- Describe the evidence-based indications for laser use across dental specialties.
- Discuss current trends and future directions in laser dentistry.
