Alumna Lyons donates laser unit to periodontics clinic

The Periodontics Clinic at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry has been gifted a new dental laser unit courtesy of alumna Lillian Carmina Lyons, DDS, MS ’05. The unit will serve both inpatient treatment and the education of residents.

The technology is a BIOLASE Waterlase iPlus laser unit, valued at $32,000, which is used in the treatment of both soft and hard tissue and has the ability to touch titanium implants without damage.

Using laser energy and water spray, Waterlase can perform many procedures without a shot, drill, or with minimum dental anesthesia. The Waterlase iPlus is utilized in treating implantitis, a destructive inflammatory disease that affects the soft and hard tissues around dental implants.

Lyons, a 2005 graduate of the Advance Education in Periodontics Program, practices as an implantologist, using laser units to treat her patients with a minimally invasive approach to treat periodontal disease.

She believes current students deserve to practice using the best laser equipment on the market.

“When I was a resident, I always thought that I would contribute something of value to the program when I had the means to do it,” Lyons said. “When I had my laser unit available, I thought it was time to gift it to the department. This unit is considered to be the most sophisticated of its kind.”

Following her residency, Lyons taught at the School of Dentistry as a clinical assistant professor for several years.

In 2015, she became the first Hispanic woman to open a periodontics specialty center in The Woodlands, Texas. She served the community and surrounding areas for nine years before selling her practice.

Lyons is now the founder of “Travelingperio” and continues to deliver periodontics and implantology care in Downtown Houston and in Montgomery, Texas.

“My goal after graduating was to give back to the dental school and the Periodontics Department,” she said. “My hope is that others like myself will be inspired to donate back to the school that provided us the ability to perform at such a high level.”

The Periodontics Clinic, located on the second floor of the School of Dentistry, provides services for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gingival (gum) disease and the bone surrounding and supporting the teeth. Care is provided by resident dentists who are receiving an additional three years of training in periodontics.