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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 6/2016 neWs 32 Quality engineering made in Biberach. Made in Germany KaVo – Innovative Instruments Synonymous with product reliability and quality, German design and engineering are now in the palm of your hand. KaVo handpieces are part of a continuum of product innovation – crafted with precision, professionalism and pride. Discover the innovative KaVo Instruments collection: www.kavo.com/instruments Computer simulations show lasers effective in killing oral bacteria ByDTI NEWYORK,USA:Ateamofresearch- ers at the New York Institute of Tech- nology in the U.S. has developed a computer model that demonstrates how dental lasers attack oral bacte- rial colonies in gingival tissue. The results of their study suggest that certaindentallasersusedforsulcular debridement can effectively remove oral pathogens buried deep in the softtissuewhilesparingthegingiva. Lasersareusedinvariousdentalpro- cedures, including nonsurgical peri- odontal treatment, which is aimed at removing bacterial debris in order to treat and prevent gingivitis and periodontitis. However, the cost of dental lasers can range from $5,000 to over $100,000, and healthcare professionals have to undergo extra trainingtousethem. In order to establish whether these additional costs and effort are justi- fied,theU.S.researchersaimedtode- termine whether there is a definite benefit of using dental lasers in peri- odontal treatment. Moreover, they wanted to ascertain how certain la- ser parameters, such as wavelength, peak power and pulse duration, af- fectthedestructionoforalbacteria. Based on the optical characteristics of gingival tissue and pathogenic microorganisms, the researchers de- veloped a mathematical model that simulatestheperiodontalprocedure of laser sulcular debridement. They then produced simulations of three different types of lasers commonly used in dentistry and their effects on two types of bacterial colonies. The virtual colonies, consisting of Por- phyromonas gingivalis and Prevo- tella intermedia, were of various sizes and placed at different depths inthegingivalmodel. “One of the questions we asked is how deep could the bacteria be and still be affected by the laser light,” explained study author Dr. Lou Rei- nisch, an expert in laser surgery and optical biomedical diagnostics and Associate Provost for Academic Af- fairsattheuniversity. Dental lasers tested in the study in- cluded diode, Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers. According to the computer model, two of the laser types—diode lasers and Nd:YAG lasers—proved to be effective in removing the bac- terial colonies. “The findings are important because it opens up the possibility of tweaking the wave- length, power, and pulse duration to be the most effective for killing bac- teria,” Reinisch said. The simulations indicated that 810 nm diode lasers, when set to short pulses and moder- ate energy levels, are able to destroy bacteria buried 3 mm deep in the gingival tissue. Nd:YAG lasers with a wavelength of 1,064 nm also proved to be effective with similar penetra- tiondepth. Moreover, both lasers spare the healthy tissue, the researchers found. Their simulations showed minimal heating of the surrounding tissue and therefore minimal ther- mal damage, which leads to faster healing,Reinischexplained. According to him, the simulations validate the effectiveness of dental lasers in removing oral bacteria and contributing to better oral health after periodontal treatment. The re- searchers expect that clinical trials based on the results of their study will be designed to confirm their findings. The study, titled “Selective photoan- tisepsis,” was published in the Oc- tober issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. In a first for the journal, the published results include video depictions of the computer simula- tions. A video of the simulations can bewatchedbelow. A new study by U.S. researchers shows that certain dental lasers are effective in remov- ing oral pathogens buried deep in the soft tissue during periodontal treatment. (Photo- graph:zlikovec/Shutterstock)