Use of the CO2 laser in soft tissue and periodontal surgery.

The use of laser energy is by now established in some areas of the medical and dental professions. This article reviews the history of the carbon dioxide laser and discusses the advantages, indications, and contraindications of laser in soft tissue and periodontal surgery. Four clinical cases are presented to illustrate laser techniques in excisional biopsy, gingivectomy, coagulation of graft donor site, and a frenectomy procedure. The learning objective of this article is to familiarize the reader with this relatively new addition to oral surgical procedures.