Lasers show up in dentistry more and more, and it is easy to see why patients are curious. A beam of light that kills bacteria and calms inflamed gums sounds gentler and more modern than scraping with metal instruments. For gum disease around dental implants, known as peri-implantitis, several types of lasers are now used alongside standard cleaning. But does the light actually add anything, or is it mostly marketing? A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Dentistry gathered fifteen randomized trials to find out, and the answer is more nuanced than either the enthusiasts or the skeptics would like.
The review found that laser therapy, used together with mechanical cleaning, did reduce bleeding and probing depths around implants. But it did not prevent bone loss, and it did not consistently beat cleaning alone. For Citrus Heights patients weighing implant treatment or dealing with gum trouble around an existing implant, here is what the research actually says.
What the Researchers Did
The review was written by Murali Srinivasan and Porawit Kamnoedboon of the University of Zurich, together with Piero Papi and Umberto Romeo of Sapienza University of Rome, and published in the Journal of Dentistry in 2025. The team searched Medline, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies published between January 1953 and November 2023, and selected fifteen randomized controlled trials that compared non-surgical laser therapy against other treatments for peri-implantitis.
In total, the fifteen trials covered 540 patients and 658 implants. The lasers studied included Er:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, Nd:YAG, and diode lasers, used on their own or as an addition to mechanical debridement, the careful cleaning of the implant surface with hand instruments or ultrasonic tips. The researchers measured bleeding on probing, probing depth, and crestal bone loss, the loss of bone at the top edge of the implant.
What Improved: Bleeding and Pocket Depth
The strongest results came from the Er:YAG laser, a type of laser that removes diseased tissue and bacterial film from the implant surface with very little heat damage to surrounding tissue. Across the trials, Er:YAG therapy significantly reduced bleeding on probing by 35.6 percent, and reduced probing depth by 0.65 millimeters. Those are real, measurable improvements, and for a patient whose gums bleed every time they brush around an implant, less bleeding is a meaningful change.
The combination of mechanical cleaning with an Er,Cr:YSGG laser did even better, improving probing depth by 1.23 millimeters and reducing bleeding on probing by 47.3 percent. These numbers describe averages across trials, and individual results vary, but the direction is consistent: adding a laser to a thorough cleaning can calm inflamed tissue around an implant more than cleaning alone in the short term.
What Did Not Improve: Bone Loss
Here is the part that matters most for the long-term survival of an implant. None of the laser therapies showed any significant advantage in preventing crestal bone loss. Bone loss is what ultimately threatens an implant, and no laser in this review stopped it better than standard treatment. The authors’ conclusion is blunt: non-surgical laser therapies demonstrated effectiveness in reducing inflammation and probing depths but did not consistently outperform mechanical debridement alone or in combination with other treatments.
That finding lines up with what specialists see in practice. Lasers are good at disinfecting a surface and calming soft tissue, but they cannot regrow bone that is already gone, and they cannot replace the physical removal of hard deposits on the implant. Benefits also depend heavily on the type of laser, the settings used, and the skill of the clinician.
What This Means If You Have Implants
If you have gum inflammation around an implant, laser therapy may be a reasonable addition to your treatment, but it should never be sold as a replacement for cleaning. Mechanical debridement remains the gold standard, and any honest treatment plan starts there. A prosthodontist in Roseville can examine the pockets around your implant, take a 3D scan to check the bone, and tell you whether your case is the early, reversible stage or the advanced stage, where surgical treatment is needed.
It is also worth asking questions before agreeing to laser treatment. Which type of laser will be used, and what does the evidence say about that specific type? What will the cleaning itself involve? And what happens if the inflammation does not settle? The review’s numbers support the Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG lasers most clearly, and even then only as additions to cleaning, not as stand-alone cures.
Prevention Is Still the Best Treatment
The most useful lesson from this research is not about lasers at all. It is that peri-implantitis is far easier to prevent than to treat. The disease starts as reversible gum inflammation, and the step from inflammation to bone loss is often just time. Patients who keep their maintenance visits, clean carefully around their implants every day, and report bleeding or swelling promptly usually never need advanced treatment of any kind, laser or otherwise.
At Expert Dental Group, Dr. Leila Nikpour is a prosthodontist with more than 15 years of dentistry experience, and the practice has placed 2,500+ dental implants. In-house 3D CBCT imaging helps monitor the bone around your implants over time, so changes are caught on scans before they become symptoms.
Visit Expert Dental Group
Expert Dental Group is located at 5070 Foothills Blvd, Suite 2, Roseville, CA 95747. Call (916) 888-1646 to schedule your free implant consultation. Hours: Monday–Friday 9–6, Saturday 9–1.
References
Srinivasan M, Kamnoedboon P, Papi P, Romeo U. Efficacy of non-surgical laser therapy for the management of peri-implantitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent. 2025;154:105562. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2025.105562.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does laser therapy cure gum disease around implants?
No. A 2025 review found lasers reduce bleeding and pocket depth when added to cleaning, but they do not prevent bone loss and do not consistently outperform cleaning alone.
Which laser worked best for peri-implantitis?
The Er:YAG laser reduced bleeding by about 36 percent and probing depth by 0.65 millimeters, and cleaning plus an Er,Cr:YSGG laser improved depth by 1.23 millimeters and bleeding by about 47 percent.
Is cleaning still needed if I get laser treatment?
Yes. Mechanical cleaning of the implant surface remains the gold standard, and lasers in the review were studied as an addition to cleaning, not a replacement for it.
Can lasers regrow bone lost around an implant?
No. No laser therapy in the review showed an advantage in preventing or reversing bone loss around implants. Advanced bone loss usually needs surgical treatment.
How can I prevent gum disease around my implants?
Brush twice a day, clean between the implant and neighboring teeth, keep your professional maintenance visits, and report bleeding, swelling, or a loose feeling promptly, before inflammation reaches the bone.