Which procedure is the most common dental hygiene practice utilizing a diode laser?

Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy (LAPT) is the most common dental hygiene practice utilizing a diode laser because it specifically addresses periodontal disease, which involves the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. The use of a diode laser in this context provides many advantages, including the ability to target infected tissue with precision, reduce bacteria, and promote healing with minimal discomfort to the patient. The laser's energy effectively disrupts biofilm on the tooth surface and allows for more thorough scaling and root planing, leading to improved outcomes in treating periodontal disease.

In contrast, root canal treatment primarily addresses issues within the pulp of the tooth and typically uses different types of lasers that are not limited to diode lasers. Crown placement is a restorative procedure that focuses on repairing teeth rather than treating tissues, and while lasers may be used for soft tissue procedures related to crowns, this is not the primary or most common application. Teeth whitening predominantly involves chemical agents and does not typically involve the use of diode lasers at all. Therefore, LAPT stands out as the procedure where diode lasers are most frequently and effectively used in dental hygiene practice.