Antibacterial effect of using the Er:YAG laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser compared to conventional instrumentation method—a literature review

Abstract

Background data Although many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Er:YAG laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser as an adjunct to initial periodontal therapy, there was no literature review after 2007 on the antibacterial effect of erbium lasers and conventional periodontal instruments. Purpose The aim of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Er:YAG laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser on the reduction of bacteria causing the periodontal disease in comparison to that with the hand, sonic, or ultrasonic scaling devices. Material and methods This is a review based on the literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar. The search is limited to publications in the period between January 2007 and April 2017, in the English language. Results Fourteen publications were found to be appropriate to the inclusion criteria of this review and screened according to the research question: is there a difference in the effect on the bacteria causing the periodontal disease by using Er:YAG laser or Er,Cr:YSGG laser in comparison to that with the hand, sonic, and ultrasonic scaling devices? Conclusion The beneficial effects of the erbium lasers as an adjunct to SRP have been established. By using the erbium lasers as an adjunctive therapy to the SRP, the users can have better antibacterial effects than conventional methods.

Evaluation of Er,Cr:YSGG LASER in flapless functional crown lengthening (A randomized controlled clinical trial with microbial analysis)

“…Moreover, erbium lasers have anti-bacterial effects and can reduce the quantity and modify the species of the periodontal pathogens. However, the blind flapless laser assisted technique may result in bone irregularities and injury to adjacent tooth surfaces as described in a single animal study (11,12) . The ability of lasers to perform soft and hard tissue crown lengthening has been described in several published case reports and case series.…”