Tech Tuesday: The World's First FDA-Cleared Laser for True Regeneration

LANAP is a widely studied and FDA-approved treatment alternative to oral surgery.

A dental laser is simplifying more than a dozen procedures dentists regularly perform on patients, even allowing for true regeneration that includes new bone formation.

The Periolase MVP-7 laser, developed by Dr. Robert Gregg of Millennium Dental Technologies, lets dentists pick one of up to 20 pre-programmed procedures, greatly simplifying the steps needed to treat a patient. The 6-watt laser comes with seven different pulse lengths, allowing for fine control over how much power is being used at any given time.

Dr. Gregg said he developed the Periolase MVP-7 to aid doctors with their procedures. Specifically, his laser can replace a host of other equipment that certain companies generate.

“Implants are complex. There's a lot to keep up with in implants,” Gregg said. “They're very productive for the practice, but not very profitable because there's so much equipment that you have to buy.”

The Periolase MVP-7 ensures patient safety through a variety of methods, ranging from effective training for the tool to a feature that keeps dentists updated on how well a procedure is going.

Many dentists avoid purchasing the equipment to carry out certain procedures due to cost. Using a small, portable device instead allows them the flexibility to work with any patient in any room without compromising patient safety or having to purchase a new set of equipment every few years, Gregg said.

Acquiring a single mobile MVP-7 would simplify many office’s workflow thanks to the device’s ability to be easily wheeled from one room to another.

Millennium Dental, unlike other laser companies, requires physicians looking to implement the MVP-7 to attend hands-on clinical training for the device. As a general practitioner, Gregg puts patient safety at the forefront.

“The (General Physicians) are easier to train because they don’t have bad habits, and we’re not doing anything complicated,” he said.

Training is an essential cornerstone to the Periolase MVP-7 project.

“Most companies that get involved with lasers like to sell a box and not get involved with the clinical training, because they don't know how,” Gregg said. “We started our company to provide the training first, the laser second. You get three days of training, and if you pass, we ship you the laser the following week.”

Dentists must pass the training in order to receive the laser, Gregg said. Those who either do not pass or do not complete the training will receive a laser.

“Training is the hardest part of what we do,” he said. “But it's what is essential to getting the good results and keeping the patient safe. These other companies, they don't do training, they don't do research. They tell the doctors to go off and stick the lasers in the pocket.”

The other key area which aids patients’ safety is that by easing the barrier to entry for dentists, patients no longer need to be referred to a specialist to carry out a relatively simple procedure, Gregg said.

Two out of every three patients referred to a specialist does not go see the specialist, Gregg said. By providing a tool that any doctor can use, it will be easier for patients to receive the treatment they actually need.

“We are extremely effective because the laser is what's doing it, and when you get light energy around the pathologic protein it just dissolves or vaporizes. That's why we are more effective,” Gregg said.