Dr. Mark P. Colonna became the newest Laser and Health Academy expert clinical lecturer and presented new treatment methods in the field of endodontics and periodontics.

He introduced Photon Induced Photoacoustic Streaming, a revolutionary new method for cleaning and debriding the root canal system using Fotona's Er:YAG laser source. With this novel treatment method, the laser produces photoacoustic shockwaves which are not restricted by the anatomy of the root canal and thoroughly stream the cleaning solutions introduced in the canal through the entire canal system, something that cannot be achieved using conventional techniques. Dr. Colonna stressed that the Fotona Er:YAG laser system are ideal for debriding the complex biological structure of the root canal, using specially designed tips capable of inducing a shockwave to the bottom of the root canal. Additionally, Fotona's systems offer the widest range of pulsewidths which allow the practitioner to work with sub-ablative power levels necessary for the safer and more effective root canal treatment.

Dr. Colona also presented a novel minimally invasive method from the field of periodontics. This approach uses a combined Er:YAG and Nd:YAG laser source (Fotona's AT Fidelis laser system) for the treatment of periodontal disease. This method is the most effective for the optimal healing of a periodontal diseased epithelial lining of the periodontal pocket. In early June, Dr. Colonna presented the clinical results of the two novel techniques at the International Dental Congress Croatia in Hvar, Croatia. The presentation was very well received and gained much interest from the participants from the fields of endodontics and periodontics.

Dr. Colonna graduated from Loyola University School of Dentistry in 1983 and has been in private practice ever since. He is the first dentist in the world that prepared teeth for full crowns and porcelain veneers using only the laser. His treatment philosophy is to perform the most minimally invasive dentistry and eliminate the use of conventional drills.
He is currently working on several pioneering procedures and is actively training new laser users in his Training Seminars courses at the Montana Center for Laser Dentistry in Whitefish, Montana, USA.  Dr. Colonna is also an Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor at the Department of Laser Dentistry at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Mesa, Arizona, USA.