I credit Lynn Atkinson, RDH, who trained our practice, and our Hygiene team for doing a great job of explaining and demonstrating their knowledge and benefits of laser-assisted hygiene, drastically increasing patient acceptance during COVID.

We are constantly working to bring our infection control and safety procedures to a higher level. We have gone above and beyond with our protocols to ensure patient safety. This means using high volume evacuation, Jade “Surgically Clean Air” air purifiers, and having all our team members properly protected.  I have increased Waterlase usage to avoid unnecessary aerosol production since Waterlase produces 98% less aerosols than traditional handpieces. One of my favorites is the ability to take “Cordless” Final Crown and Bridge impressions by using the “Troughing” mode. It gives us a much better final crown margin and the temporaries fit extremely well.  

We know that dental lasers are an excellent tool in treating periodontal disease, and the recent study from the McGuire Study published in the Journal of Periodontology demonstrates how REPAIR® Perio protocol is superior in procedure time and patient-reported outcomes than traditional periodontal treatment.

I think the major area of growth for me personally will be in the treatment of peri-implantitis and peri-mucositis. I have placed thousands of implants. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to implants. Every week, we see dozens of implants in our practice, many of which will fail if rescue therapy isn’t initiated immediately. I can see how this area will grow quickly and be of major benefit for my patients and practice.