Since the 1990s the use of laser beams in the treatment of periodontitis has been continually expanding. They have been used in the non-surgical treatment of periodontitis either as the sole method or as an adjunct to hand instruments and ultrasonics for scaling and root planing. Their action is based on the removal of the bacteria and the endotoxins they produce, of the calculus, and of the superficial "contaminated" layer of the root surface. The question that arises, however, is whether they can genuinely constitute an effective stand-alone method of non-surgical periodontal treatment, or whether they offer any additional clinical benefit as an adjunct to conventional treatment. These questions have been answered by the American Academy of Periodontology (A.A.P.), which in April 2011 reached the following conclusions:
1) As an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment, the use of lasers does not appear to help in further reducing pocket depth.
2) Their use as monotherapy is not supported by most studies.
3) The research data on their effectiveness in reducing subgingival bacteria are contradictory.
