Millennium Dental’s Minimally Invasive PerioLase® MVP-7™ Laser: Not Just for Periodontitis
Jon Suzuki, DDS, PhD, MBA, is a highly regarded leader in the field of dentistry. Currently serving as Professor, Department Chairman, Program Director, Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology in the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University in Philadelphia, he’s amassed an impressive resume of accomplishments, including the publication of more than 150 papers, chapters, symposia, abstracts, and a textbook in medical technology. A clinician on the pulse of cutting-edge technology, Dr. Suzuki knows a game-changing development when he sees one. He discusses the PerioLase® MVP-7™ from Millennium Dental.
Q: What do you find particularly exciting now in the field of laser dentistry?
A: The PerioLase® MVP-7™ Nd:YAG laser for the LANAP® protocol offers major benefits in dentistry, especially in the field of periodontics, and it is important for practitioners in all types of practice to keep up with advances in the field. The investment in the PerioLase® by our periodontology department is indeed a part of keeping up with the trends in dentistry. I wanted a better-trained faculty and better-trained residents as they go out into the practice community, and this was part of the decision-making process for seeking the PerioLase®.
Q: Why does the PerioLase® MVP-7™ stand out among dental lasers?
A: I believe the primary indication is the FDA clearance for the management and treatment of periodontitis, especially those patients with systemic conditions and diseases—ie, medically compromised patients. This includes patients on blood thinners for the prevention of a second heart attack or second stroke or joint replacement therapy. Using the PerioLase® MVP-7™ would obviate the need to take these patients off the blood thinners prior to treatment.
Q: Where does the LANAP® protocol fit into the trend toward evidence-based medicine?
A: The LANAP® treatment is a very well-defined protocol and is evidence-based, with several studies supporting its clinical outcome. FDA approval is primarily for periodontitis, so whether treating a case of early, moderate, or late-stage periodontitis, the LANAP® protocol is suitable. It is especially indicated in patients who are medically compromised, medication-influenced, on blood thinners or have any issue of wound healing being hampered.
Q: What has been the response among faculty, students, and patients regarding the LANAP® protocol?
A: The reception among faculty and third-year residents using the LANAP® protocol in the operating room suite at Temple Episcopal Hospital has been outstanding. As for patients, not only do they like that the LANAP® treatment requires fewer visits, but also that there is less postoperative pain and faster healing compared to sutures. Patient reaction has resulted in increased patient treatment acceptance. Ultimately, as the word gets around, there is the potential for more referrals.
Q: What other types of patients and conditions benefit from the LANAP® protocol?
A: I’ve been able to manage several patients undergoing bisphosphonate treatment for osteolytic bone disorders and other conditions, including one patient who came into the hospital with osteonecrosis of the mandible 6 months after completing multiple extractions while receiving bisphosphonate therapy. Older patients with periodontal diseases may have a medical condition that precludes comprehensive periodontal care, including conventional periodontal surgery. With the PerioLase® MVP-7™, patients can be treated in a single appointment for the management of the same periodontal condition that would require anywhere from 4 to 10 visits with conventional treatment. Also, managing periodontitis earlier in the disease process would dramatically reduce the risk of other systemic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, pancreatic cancer, and other conditions.
Q: Why should clinicians invest in the PerioLase® MVP-7™ now?
A: Favorable patient acceptance and clinical results should motivate practitioners to invest in the PerioLase® MVP-7™. Making the investment today is smart because many studies show favorable results, such as relatively predictable clinical outcomes. Further, the scope of treatment using the PerioLase® can be broadened to include biopsies and soft-tissue surgeries, including frenectomies, and many other applications used by general practitioners and periodontists.
Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc.
10945 South St, Suite 104-A
Cerritos, CA 90703
888-597-5262
dentalaegis.com/go/cced796
