Laser assisted new attachment procedure™ follows principles of biocompatible dentistry

Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., which will be present at the 2008 International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) Spring Meeting, March 7-8, 2008 in Chicago, Ill., today reaffirmed its commitment to following the principles of biocompatible dentistry. The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure™ (LANAP®), the first and only periodontal protocol to receive FDA clearance, enables general practitioners and periodontists to offer patients with moderate to severe gum disease a vastly less painful and less invasive treatment alternative to conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery that reflects IAOMT treatment principles for biocompatible periodontal therapy: to always seek the least toxic way to accomplish treatment while treading as softly as possible on patients’ biological terrain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 75% of American adults over the age of 35 suffer from some form of gum disease. Traditionally, patients diagnosed with moderate to severe gum disease have undergone invasive and often painful periodontal procedures that remove healthy root bone structure and gum tissue in order to cure the infection. However, because gum disease is caused by microbes, the excision of healthy tissue is actually unnecessary.

LANAP® is an innovative, biocompatible periodontal therapy designed for the effective treatment of gum disease through regeneration, rather than resection, making it well aligned with the goal of biocompatible periodontal therapy to eliminate infection without eliminating tooth structure. With LANAP®, a tiny laser fiber is inserted between the tooth and the gum, and the infection is cleared away without any cutting or stitching of the gums. The tooth roots are then thoroughly cleaned of tartar and plaque, and the laser is used again with a different setting to create a stable, firm blood clot to seal the pocket. LANAP® targets and eliminates only diseased tissue and conserves healthy root structures and gum tissue, reflecting biocompatible periodontal therapeutic principles. Furthermore, because LANAP® assists with the formation of a fibrin clot between the tooth and gum to initiate attachment, the procedure allows the patient’s own immune system to assist in the healing process.

LANAP® provides a number of benefits over traditional surgery, including reduced post-operative pain, fewer sessions, and a quicker, easier recovery time. Unlike conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery, LANAP® is fast, usually requiring just one to two sessions each lasting two to three hours, and patients can often return to their regular daily activities immediately following the procedure.

“With continued support from IAOMT members, we expect to see an increasing number of general practitioners and periodontists stressing the importance of preserving healthy root bone structure and gum tissue while effectively targeting the source of periodontal infection,” said Robert Gregg II, DDS, co-founder and Chief Dental Officer of Millennium Dental Technologies. “By offering patients a minimally invasive procedure, simple and comfortable treatment experience, and good clinical results, LANAP® bridges the growing divide between gum disease patients and dentists and demonstrates the viability of LANAP® as a biocompatible option for the treatment of periodontal disease.”

The IAOMT is an organization for that group of dentists, physicians, and allied researchers who consider biocompatibility to be their first concern, and who demand scientific evidence as their key criterion. Members of this group have, since 1984, examined, chronicled and supported research into the distinctions that can make dental practice more biologically acceptable.

About Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc.
Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of dental products, seeks to bridge the growing divide between gum disease patients and dentists/ periodontists by providing a simple and comfortable patient experience with good clinical results. By removing their fear, the dental community has the opportunity to bring patients back to seek treatment for their gum disease. The FDA-cleared and patented Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP®), developed by Millennium Dental Technologies, offers a proven, vastly less painful and less invasive treatment alternative to conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery. The Company is organized and operated under the leadership and direction of laser dentists for the express purpose of advancing LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY™.