University-based laser gum disease treatment — multi-centered clinical study with laser technology at the heart of study objectives

CERRITOS, CA–(Marketwire – Jun 13, 2011) – The University of Colorado, University of Maryland, and University of Louisville are the academic cornerstones of a multi-centered study to further document the clinical success of the LANAP^® protocol for the treatment of gum disease. While the procedure has already earned FDA clearance, this important university-based research is expected to advance the technique’s adoption by dental professionals and help increase periodontal treatment case acceptance.

Titled “A Multi-Center Single Blind Longitudinal Study of the Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure Compared to Scaling and Root Planing Alone, Modified Widman Flap Surgery, and Coronal Debridement Alone in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis,” the research is being conducted at five investigational centers by three university-based and three private-practice principal investigators across the United States.

The study is a randomized, calibrated, prospective, double-blinded investigation using a four-quadrant, split-mouth design with modified Widman flap as the positive surgical control, coronal debridement as a negative control and scaling and root planing as the positive non-surgical control. That places the results at a uniquely high level of reliability.

Research is currently underway in Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Lafayette, Louisiana and Baltimore, Maryland. The final center will launch soon at the University of Louisville. Patients will be treated over the next eight to 12 months and followed for a year after treatment. The intensive study is expected to last two years with results available in 2013. The study was initiated by the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD) — a nationally accredited organization dedicated to the research, practice and teaching of advanced laser dentistry therapies — with financial and technical support from Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc. (MDT).

Traditional treatment for periodontal disease involves flap surgery, resulting in only 3% of those diagnosed actually receiving treatment. The FDA-cleared LANAP^® protocol utilizes a laser to clear away infection without traditional cutting of the gums. This results in clinically proven regenerative outcomes, offering patients less post-operative pain and fewer treatment sessions, with quicker recovery times and lasting results. Study results are expected to underscore the clinical success of the protocol, which has successfully treated over 2 million patients worldwide.

“I am particularly excited to be Project Director of this important multi-center clinical trial comparing [the LANAP® Protocol] to other periodontal treatments,” says Raymond Yukna, DMD, MS, a world-renowned periodontist and leading researcher in bone-building techniques and technology. “Millennium Dental Technologies appears to be the only laser company willing to ‘put its money where its mouth is’ by sponsoring such a study. I anticipate that the research data will reinforce the results routinely obtained by current LANAP practitioners.”

Dr. Henry Greenwell, Director of Graduate Periodontics at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, agrees. “Millennium Dental Technologies is to be applauded for subjecting the LANAP® procedure to such rigorous scientific scrutiny,” says Dr. Greenwell. “The multi-centered prospective longitudinal clinical trial will compare [The LANAP® protocol] with both surgical and nonsurgical periodontal procedures — an important comparison that will establish the predictability of LANAP relative to extensively tested methods for treating chronic periodontitis.”

Dr. Mark Reynolds, director of the University of Maryland portion of the study, notes: “It is rewarding to participate in this landmark study, which will provide important new information on the effectiveness of this innovative therapy.”

A previous study was performed by Yukna, with Ronald L. Carr, DDS, and Gerald H. Evans, DDS, documenting clinical and histologic success and achieving FDA clearance for the extremely effective procedure. The results are available at https://www.lanap.com/pdf/YuknaArticle.pdf.

More information on the newest study’s design is available at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01282229.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED LASER DENTISTRY (IALD):The Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry is a non-profit educational and research center dedicated to providing evidence-based clinical training in advanced laser dentistry therapies. Formed in 1999 by dentists Robert H. Gregg II and Delwin K. McCarthy, the IALD is both ADA CERP and AGD PACE accredited, and is nationally recognized for its continuing education (CE) programs. With more than 20 certified instructors who train dental professionals in laser dentistry techniques including the LANAP^®protocol, the IALD aims to reach more underserved patients with gum disease who have avoided therapy out of fear. To that end, the organization provides free treatment to qualified patients who can benefit from the no-cut, no-sew, no-fear LANAP® protocol — providing about $750,000 in free dental services each year. The IALD’s ultimate goal is for the percentage of patients seeking treatment for periodontitis to reach the percentage of patients seeking general dental care. For more information, please visit www.theiald.com.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Headquartered in Cerritos, Calif., Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc. is the developer of the LANAP^®protocol for the treatment of gum disease and the manufacturer of the PerioLase^®MVP-7^™ digital dental laser. By providing a simple and comfortable experience with unique bone-building clinical results, MDT’s FDA-cleared LANAP protocol removes the fear from gum disease treatment, offering a vastly less painful and less invasive regenerative treatment alternative to conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery; its PerioLase^®MVP-7^™is a 6-watt free-running variable pulsed Nd:YAG dental laser featuring digital technology and 7 pulse durations — the most available on the market — giving it the power and versatility to perform a wide range of soft- and hard-tissue laser procedures. Established in 1990, the company’s founding clinicians, Robert H. Gregg, II, D.D.S. and Delwin K. McCarthy, D.D.S., continue to operate the company with a shared vision and purpose: To create better clinical outcomes in periodontal disease patients — and to remain true to the guiding principle — “It’s all about the patient.” For more information, visit www.lanap.com.