New PerioLase® from Millennium Dental Technologies receives FDA clearance; what LASIK® has done for optometrists, a laser breakthrough can do for dentists

Millennium Dental Technologies has been granted FDA clearance to market its revolutionary PerioLase® dental laser for gingival incision and excision and laser curettage (removal of diseased or inflamed soft tissue in the periodontal pocket), according to company founders Delwin K. McCarthy, D.D.S. and Robert H. Gregg II, D.D.S.

Designed by clinicians for clinicians, the PerioLase® demystifies the dental laser, providing a breakthrough treatment for gum disease with a proprietary procedure called Laser Periodontal Therapy. “LPT™ is a patient- and practitioner-friendly alternative to traditional surgery. It’s the first periodontal procedure ever granted a patent and the only stand alone procedure that cost-justifies the purchase of a laser,” notes Dr. McCarthy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 60% of the population has moderate to severe gum disease, but fewer than 3% receive treatment. “Periodontal surgery is invasive. It’s not something patients readily accept,” says Dr. Gregg. “But the PerioLase® and LPT™ make treatment as easy as wiping chalk off a blackboard. LPT™ can be done in any general or specialty setting. There’s no cutting of flaps, no sutures and a minimum of bleeding.” Preservation of original gum tissue is maximized, so appearances are preserved and root exposure and increased sensitivity are avoided. Other patient-friendly benefits such as 50% less chair time, lower cost, quicker recovery and almost no time lost from work give this procedure tremendous practice-building potential. “In 2001, optometrists performed 1.5 million Lasik procedures. We believe PerioLase® will have the same kind of patient appeal,” adds Gregg.

PerioLase® is the first digital dental laser released in the U.S. and the only one with 7 different pulse durations. To ensure proficiency, attendance at a 3-day Laser Boot Camp™ for hands-on training is mandatory, with two one-day advanced sessions at six month intervals.

Other dentist-specific features include:

• TrueFlex™ handpiece with bendable canula to access all mouth areas,
• Automatically configured laser dosages (no recalculating for different pocket depths),
• The first procedure-driven menu,
• Tiltable touch screen for easy viewing,
• TruePulse — free-running (FR) pulse laser emits true pulses of super-high peak power with durations in the millionths of a second. This delivers greater precision and control of the laser beam with superior tissue interaction.

Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., can be reached at 888-49-LASER .