Lasers and soft tissue: 'fixed' soft tissue surgery.

Within a general practice setting, there are few benign pathological conditions of the attached or keratinised gingival complex that are not amenable to simple surgical intervention. The majority of surgical procedures are adjunctive to the delivery of restorative dentistry. There is an understandable dogma worldwide towards the management of soft tissues as they interface with restorative procedures. Contemporary teaching, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, would recognise the need for a period of wound healing and stability, based on scalpel-induced incisional therapy. The use of laser wavelengths, based on predictable evidence-based protocols, has re-defined the surgical management of keratinised mucosa that is bound to the underlying periosteum and bone. This can be seen as being of benefit to the clinician in determining the outcome, and the patient in achieving quality results.