Bart Knellinger, CEO of Progressive Dental, shared his own story of collaborating with Millennium Dental Technologies, but this year marks the first time a speaker from MDT will follow his introduction. Geritt Cora, VP and managing partner of Progressive Dental, emphasizes the importance of this addition, noting, “The Closing Institute stands for full-mouth comprehensive dental care, and it’s a natural progression to include LANAP in the conversation.”

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Dr. Balaster agrees, stating, “The comprehensive care LANAP provides extends beyond oral health. By addressing periodontal disease and its associated inflammation, we not only enhance oral health but also significantly reduce its systemic impact on the body.” LANAP, a minimally invasive periodontal treatment, utilizes PerioLase MVP-7 technology to regenerate tissue and restore oral health. This innovative protocol underscores the importance of treating the mouth as integral to overall health—a philosophy that defines Dr. Balaster's approach to dentistry and patient care.

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It is a laser mono-therapy meaning it does not use any additional biologics such as bone, membrane or growth factors. The Periolase MVP is a soft tissue Nd-Yag Laser with a 1064 nm wavelength, and designed with 7 multi-variable pulse durations. The wavelength 1064nm is highly absorbed by and can therefore affect inflamed tissues, chromophores within pathogenic bacteria, hemoglobin, and melanin while not being absorbed in water. The LANAP protocol was developed for use with the Periolase MVP-7 in 1990 and received FDA clearance for True Regeneration on previously diseased root surface in the absence of long junctional epithelium following submission of over 28 pages of human histologic evidence in 2016.  This laser has been scientifically shown to selectively remove inflamed epithelium without damaging healthy tissue, significantly decrease periodontal pathogens and allow for the formation of a stable blood clot to act as barrier membrane, which allows for the regeneration of the periodontal apparatus (PDL, bone and cementum).   

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The LANAP protocol effectively kills bacteria in the treated area, providing systemic benefits and supporting overall body health. In a study out of Tufts University, it is shown that 80% of pockets treated with the LANAP protocol culture negative while 100% of pockets treated with traditional periodontal therapy cultured positive.  This reduction in bacterial load was still significant at 90 days.  Its application extends to treating peri-implantitis around dental implants where the LANAP protocol has been thoughtfully adapted and applied as the LAPIP protocol offering results in line with traditional Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) techniques and providing minimally invasive treatment for peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.  This scientifically validated procedure, leveraging the basic biologic principles of traditional periodontal regeneration and selective light-tissue interaction, make LANAP and LAPIP predictable and significant advancements in periodontal therapy. These therapies are considered less painful compared to conventional gum surgery, making them more appealing to patients and encouraging treatment among those previously too afraid to seek care. Dawn M. Gregg, DDS, VP of Operations and Training Director at Millennium Dental Technologies, adds, “LANAP & LAPIP clinicians experience higher case acceptance while offering hope to patients with otherwise hopeless teeth and implants.”