Atlas of Current Oral Laser Surgery

The CO2 laser beam was introduced in oral laser surgery in 1980 and it revolutionized the field. Its effects on oral soft tissues offer many advantages: bloodless surgery decontamination of the surgical site by heat generated no need for suturing healthy patients simplicity of use and perfect control of the removed tissues. In addition using the CO2 laser beam improves the tissue quality of the healed area due to collagen secretion induced by the tissular beam action and has a bio-modulation effect on irradiated tissues. This atlas will examine and discuss some procedures common in different fields of current oral surgery. First we present an introduction to laser physics as well as guidelines for proper clinical protocol. Then we examine how the laser beam can be useful to practitioners in different specialties such as periodontics endodontics orthodontics implantology pre-prosthetic surgery and oral soft tissues diseases treatments. Over 200 full-color photographs accompany step-by-step surgical procedures including frenectomy removal of infected tumors ablation of benign tumors gingivectomy treatment of vascular lesions treatment of hyperkeratosis and vestibular deepening. Finally we engage in a round table discussion with some of the best international experts in the field of oral surgery.