LASER 101

After only 10 months on the job, Rob Gershon, the CEO of Convergent Dental has brought even more innovation to Convergent. Listen as he discusses what he describes as the huge value proposition of all-tissue laser dentistry without disrupting the normal daily workflow. We learn about Solea’s answer to sleep disordered breathing and a way to improve the effectiveness of fluoride using the Solea CO2 laser. We end with a discussion on the importance of incorporating lasers into the dental education curriculum.

This episode of the Laser 101 podcast introduces you to Dr. Densen Cao of the CAO Group. You may not know the name, but you use his inventions EVERY DAY. Dr. Cao is responsible for creating 20 different medical devices including (all world’s firsts) the first ultra compact diode lasers, the first handheld LED curing light, the first Laser curing light, the first handheld forensic LED you have undoubtedly seen on shows like CSI, and most recently, a reversible resin which can be uncoupled or removed years after curing by using a laser diode. Listen as Dr. W geeks out over all the innovation and technology! Tip: Recommend you listen to this episode at 1.5x speed.

This week, the Laser 101 Podcast begins our series on giving you direct access to laser manufacturers. James Carroll is the CEO of Thor Photomedicine. During our discussion, Mr. Carroll describes the process of photobiomodulation. We also reveal the reasons he has delivered presentations to the United Nations and US Congress, why he was invited to speak at the White House. Considering over 9000 academic papers have been published on the subject, including over 150 randomized, controlled clinical trials, it may be surprising that so many dentists and physicians remain uninformed or skeptical about this topic.

For the past 30 years, the name Dr. Stewart Rosenberg has been synonymous with dental education, especially in dental technology like intraoral cameras, air abrasion and especially lasers. He was one of the original founders of the Academy of Laser Dentistry and always advocated to use your laser on “every patient, every day.” We recently caught up with Dr. Rosenberg and he was as funny as ever, and continues to advocate for laser use in dentistry in every dental specialty. Easily the funniest episode of Laser 101 so far!

This week, we have an especially eye-opening conversation with Dr. Bob Lowe, who is a world-renowned cosmetic dentist from Charlotte, now also teaching part-time at the MUSC dental school in South Carolina. Dr. Lowe discusses his thought process behind being the first person to publish an article on laser-assisted closed flap osseous crown lengthening. We finish our conversation with his thoughts on why dental laser manufacturers are missing the boat when it comes to implementation in dental schools.

This week, we review an interesting and timely paper to be published in the Journal of Biophotonics, which deals with the use of either transcranial or whole body treatments for brain fog associated with Covid-19. This is a human clinical study comparing the results of treating patients with brain fog using either a helmet or a light bed. Previous studies treating patients with Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis have used whole body light beds, while depression, Alzheimer’s Disease and traumatic brain injury have been successfully treated using only a transcranial light device. This simple project could be of much help to those who currently suffer from cognitive dysfunction related to Covid-19.

Dr. Kim Kutsch was one of the "Original 8" dentists to use a laser intraorally. Probably more importantly, he was also the person responsible for sitting in front of his dental board and getting the ball rolling for hygienists across the country to be able to use lasers in dentistry. Seriously. He was the guy! With 17 patents secured and 5 more pending, make a point to listen the wisdom of one of the most innovative dentists of our time.

Dr. Justin Kolnick is one of the most experienced endodontists in the world to use lasers routinely in his dental practice. Join us as Dr. Kolnick describes his comprehensive treatment concept, including details on the “ease of outcome,” a phrase he created to describe the process. We also cover an explanation of laser cavitation in endodontics and the use of erbium lasers in cases of calcification or retreatment. Listen as he discusses his method of predicting endodontic outcomes or percentage of success, which is currently over 95% using his methods. All that and more on this episode!

Two weeks ago, a scientific paper appeared on my Google Scholar feed. I read the title and thought to myself, “Why are you doing that? It doesn’t make sense.” The interview I had with Dr. John Featherstone only the day before popped into my head, when he talked about this exact topic. Then, another paper populated the same Google feed, covering the same topic in an entirely different and more appropriate way rather than a rehashing of 13 year old research. I decided to compare the two. I hope you enjoy the discussion!

This week’s guest on Laser 101 is Dr. Robert Miller; one of the most sought after speakers in the world of oral implantology worldwide. Dr. Miller talks about his “leap of faith” in purchasing THE VERY FIRST Er,Cr:YSGG laser ever. Back then, it was cleared to do only Class I and V cavity preparations! That’s it. Dr. Miller shares how he uses multiple ablative lasers in his oral implantology dental practice, and as promised, he shares his philosophy (hits us right between the eyes) that dental lasers should be thought of more as a biologic than as an instrument.