By Katie Schnorrenberg, RDH

My name is Katie Schnorrenberg and I have been a hygienist for 15 years. I love the connection that I have with my patients and I enjoy seeing improvements in their oral health. I work in a general dental office with another amazing hygienist. She has encouraged me to utilize the dental laser as a standard practice tool in periodontal therapy. We are fortunate to work with a dentist who values periodontal health and supports us as clinicians in improving our patient’s oral health by the use of the dental laser.

By Dr. Grace Sun, 2023 Conference Committee Member

Comprehensive management of orofacial pain has traditionally been limited to western treatment modalities and healthy lifestyle choices, often relying on prescribed pharmaceuticals – but there are alternative treatment modality options that should be considered.

By Gail Siminovsky, CAE - ALD Executive Director

Dentists and hygienists that complete ALD’s Certificate Program are better grounded in foundational knowledge to guide their clinical

By Lynn Atkinson, RDH

Traditional non-surgical periodontal therapy has been performed by the dental hygienist for decades. The ultimate goal is to treat and thenmaintain periodontal health. There are several adjunctive therapies available for the clinician to incorporate along with non-surgical periodontal therapy. The combination of using lasers and custom designed medicament trays, such as Perio Trays^TM,  can be integrated into protocols allowing us to treat our patients more comprehensively while focusing on improving oral and whole-body health.  

By Dr. Grace Sun

When treating TMD, it is important to recognize the TMJ as a part of a larger system. As dental professionals we are well suited to treat TMJ, as orofacial-and-dental components are major contributing factors to TMD. Before rendering tx, proper diagnosis is requisite. The TM joint is comprised of multiple components and requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Most TMD symptoms are of myofascial origin, treatment modalities for which can be addressed by a variety of multi-disciplinary approaches, including pharmaceuticals, PT, PBM light therapy, acupuncture and trigger point treatment.

Dr. Debra Occena Sablada, Davao City, Philippines

I am an oral surgeon with a hospital-based practice, AND a certified peer lactation counsellor. I’ve been doing tongue and lip tie releases, among other procedures, for the past 20 years. Being based in a Third World country definitely poses challenges in terms of investing in lasers, being trained, and offering procedures as a viable option to my patients. However, I decided to go with the BEST treatment option for my patients, and not to worry about recouping investments and remunerations, and got my first laser, a 10W Diode Laser, in 2020.

ALD members, Dr. Juliana Barros and Dr. Shelly Patel of UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry , are advancing laser education through the Laser Learning Society. “We’re one of the few dental schools in the U.S. that teaches a full program in laser dentistry to our students,” said Barros. Find out more about their efforts in this article.

The Academy of Laser Dentistry is proud to announce the recipients of the Student Achievement Award in the use of lasers to three outstanding senior dental students at accredited Dental Schools across the USA. These students have demonstrated greatest interest, knowledge, and aptitude in the field of laser dentistry.

You've probably interacted with ALD staff through email, social media, or by phone. If you missed the Member Orientation last month, where ALD staff introduced themselves, get to know them here.

The Laser Safety Officer (LSO) is required if dental lasers are being used in the office. The LSO is assigned the responsibility for the office’s laser safety program. The Academy of Laser Dentistry’s "Laser Safety Manual for Safe Use of Dental Lasers" discusses the requirements and responsibilities of the LSO. It is important to review your facility’s procedures regarding your appointed LSO.

When Jeanette asked me to write an article for Lightwaves, I debated about the subject. I decided on this title since this is where we all live 24/7: the oral cavity. I wanted to make sure that my ALD Buddies didn’t start to slack off on their COVID-19 protocols, even though we have access to vaccines and many are relaxing their mask mandates. Nine people that I know that have been triple vaccinated have come down with the virus and one very seriously.

The Academy of Laser Dentistry is pleased to announce Sam Low, DDS, as its 34th President.  Dr. Low presides over the 14-member ALD Board of Directors that well represents esteemed members in industry, clinical practice, academia and professional organized dentistry. The Board is leading with education and clinical relevance for everyday uses of dental lasers.  

The Chair of the new ALD Study Club in Libya, Dr. Ali Elmalih shares his experience and enthusiasm in holding the first ALD hands-on-training course for the club. Over the last year I worked with Dr. Walid Altayeb to make this happen. Last March we organized the first ALD course in Libya. By the way, it was the first professional laser course in the field of laser dentistry in the country! I’m very happy and proud that we have an ALD study club in Libya now.

It's been over 25 years since I became aware that a fire could occur intra-orally.  One of my mentors in implant dentistry shared a story of soldering titanium metal together with Nd:YAG laser. The patient died from a spark that ignited a high-flow oxygen from a nasal canula. Well, at the time I was not interested in dental lasers and felt this could not happen to me. Ten years later, I started doing IV sedation for the comfort of my patients. Going through my coursework, I was again introduced to fires created by an electro-surge. Working now with erbium lasers, I was aware that this laser created sparks. Ten years later, I started doing IV sedation for the comfort of my patients.  Going through my coursework, I was again introduced to fires created by an electro-surge. Working now with erbium lasers, I was aware that this laser created sparks.

Dr. Gabi Kesler passed on July 9, 2021, at his home in Tel Aviv, Israel, surrounded by his family.

Gabi Kesler, DMD, was installed as the 24th Academy of Laser Dentistry President (2016-2017) in Orlando, Florida, April 16, 2016. There have been many ALD leaders with steadfast dedication and energy for the Academy of Laser Dentistry, yet Gabi’s uniqueness was more evident than many leaders.  He loved the Academy and what ALD stands for. Gabi was soft spoken, of exceptional intelligence, and had a quiet way of leading. Gabi traveled from Tel Aviv to the US 3 or 4 times a year for ALD leadership meetings, spent hours on an airplane and away from his family for years and years, at his own expense.  His steadfast dedication to dentistry and to the ALD is remarkable, almost as remarkable as his dedication to his family, of which he spoke often. 

In November 2019, as a member of the editorial board of Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, I was asked to write an editorial on the topic of Photobiomodulation Treatment (PBMT) as a possible answer to the opioid crisis. (1) I started using PBMT in my small-town dental practice in 1993 and have eliminated using post-operative opioid prescriptions ever since. In today’s world, you can’t open any newspaper without finding an article on the opioid crisis and so many of addictions started with people being prescribed opiates after dental treatments. In this article, I will discuss the problem and show how PBMT can be a big part of the solution.

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By Aric Sven, Founder of Sventech

In this article we will shine some photons on the physics of lasers and how knowledge of this subject can improve the art of dentistry when applied to technique. There is no way I can cover all the various dental laser wavelengths in depth with a short article. However, I am hopeful this article will peak your interest in educating yourself past the presets on your laser’s control pad. Over the past 3 decades there have been many manufacturers with well-respected engineers bringing laser technology to our operatories. Articles on each wavelength have been written. There are many procedures that any given dental laser can perform and each has a niche depending upon its unique absorption characteristics in target tissues. To understand this we must have knowledge of the physics of each particular laser.