ADEA's 
Lasers in Dentistry-Special Interest Group

Welcome:
Welcome to the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) Lasers in Dentistry-Special Interest Group (LiD-SIG) website! The purpose of this website is to be a resource for dental educators for advancing the utilization of laser and light based technologies in the academic settings of dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting schools. The membership of the LiD-SIG is primarily faculty members of many of the oral health institutions from North America and around the world. However, membership is opened to all interested individuals with the desire to promote and further research, education, and use of these technologies in the clinical environment in academic institutions. We encourage everyone with this interest to join the LiD-SIG by enrolling on this website.
LiD-SIG's Mission Statement:
To promote research, education and clinical use and implementation of lasers and light based technologies in the academic environment of dental and hygiene educational institutions and all forms of dental education throughout North America.
LiD-SIG’s Goals:

The LiD-SIG’s initial goal is to engage more dental and hygiene schools in discussions about incorporating comprehensive science based laser education as a part of each institutions’ core curriculum and clinical experiences. ADEA’s LiD-SIG members are continually working to create, update and disseminate a standard laser education curriculum. These laser curriculum guidelines are being created and updated in order to provide standardized training following evidence-based guidelines on the safe and effective use of lasers and light based technologies for all oral health education institutions around the world. The LiD-SIG also has the function of maintaining and promoting education on lasers and light based technologies and its use in Dentistry in ADEA’s program and activities.    

One challenge the LiD-SIG is starting to overcome is the perception is that lasers and other light based technologies are just a “tool or device”, similar to a dental handpiece. 

The major goal is to promote the education of lasers and other light based technologies, as well as, the underlying sciences of light energy and the photobiomodulation mechanisms that it elicits as physical or biologic responses. It is a primary goal of the LiD-SIG to educate the profession on this misconception. 

The LiD-SIG and its membership are collaborating many of the other organizations with the same focus of promoting research, education, clinical applications, and the safe and effective use of lasers and light based technologies. These organizations include the ANSI Z136 Committee on Laser Safety, Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), North American Academy for Photobiomodulation Therapy (NAALT), World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT), and others. Several of the LiD-SIG members additionally serve in leadership positions in these and other related organizations and journals to assist in promoting these goals.
History of the ADEA's LiD-SIG:

In 2005, Dr. Donald Patthoff of West Virginia University on behalf of the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) began working with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) leadership and staff to initiate the concept of creating an ADEA Special Interest Group (SIG) on “Dental Lasers”. Dr. Patthoff working with the academic membership of the ALD and several other key members of ADEA facilitated the process of creating a SIG.

Because the use of lasers and other light based energy is a science and not a device, like a dental handpiece, the name “Dental Lasers” seemed inappropriate. The use of lasers and light energy in oral healthcare is a science and art that combines the knowledge of laser physics, anatomy and biologic composition (including the microbiome), physiology, and biochemistry with the practices of clinical techniques. 

One of the several key people in ADEA that helped with facilitating the SIG process within ADEA was Dr. Lillie Hoover Largent. She and her team realized that the SIG should be titled “Lasers in Dentistry” which is a concise and more accurate description of the science of using lasers (coherent) and light (non-coherent) energy in oral healthcare.

Dr. Patthoff was appointed by ADEA’s Council on Sections as the founding Chair of the ADEA Lasers in Dentistry-Special Interest Group (LiD-SIG) and was charged with the task of organizing the first few meetings until a slate of officers could be elected by the membership. The officers of the LiD-SIG are Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary. Dr. Peter Rechmann, of the University of California San Francisco, School of Dentistry was elected as the LiD-SIG’s first Chair.

For more than 15 years the members of the LiD-SIG have been working towards advancing the research on lasers and light energy and properly incorporating the science and use of use light and laser energy into the core curriculum of dental and oral health education.

Today, laser and light based energy applications in oral health care includes, but are not limited to adjunctive diagnostic techniques, periodontal procedures, soft tissue surgical procedures, tooth preparations, osseous surgery procedures, endodontic disinfection, and photobiomodulation (PBM) procedures. PBM is used to stimulate or inhibit biological processes and includes reducing inflammation, managing conditions (such as oral mucositis and TMD), enhanced healing, and reducing discomfort.

Presently, the LiD-SIG has participation from over 40 institutions and a professional membership of over 100 representing faculty, administrators, practicing dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, laboratory technicians, laser safety officers, and vendors. Additionally, the LiD-SIG has over 100 students as members.
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