Benefits of Using Lasers In dentistry

The Holy Grail of pain-free, futuristic dentistry which has been sought for many years is now beginning to become reality in the form of laser dentistry.



There are two types of lasers that dentists are interested in regards to dentistry: a soft tissue laser and a hard tissue laser.



The soft tissue laser allows the dentist to destroy bacteria in gum disease conditions, within the pockets. This accelerates the healing of pockets as well as making the treatments more predictable. It allows excessive gum to be removed in a gentle manner prior to impressions for a new crown. The benefit of this is improved impressions leading to much better fitting crowns. It can be used to treat cold sores or herpes lesions. It can be used to assist in the stopping of bleeding after tooth extractions.



A hard tissue laser allows the dentist to work on teeth or bone in a much more controlled and gentle manner than with a scalpel or drill. This is in addition to similar capabilities of a soft tissue laser. At the moment, the best laser on the market is the Waterlase™ developed by Biolase.



The Waterlase ™ is a revolutionary dental device that uses a combination of laser energy and water, a process called HydroPhotonics™, to perform many traditional dental procedures with less anesthesia. In fact, laser light can be used prior to a procedure to help increase the patient's pain threshold and promote healing. This reduces patient anxiety, minimizes pain and trauma, and creates a more comfortable experience for our patients.



The laser dentist utilizes a tool that uses water to create a very precise sculpting tool. As a result of this the instrument does not have to contact the tissue. The major benefit of this is that it can be used with minimal trauma and in some cases no bleeding at all. Since there are no moving parts in the actual laser instrument that is used in the mouth then there is a no vibration: a sensation that most patients detest. For this reason lasers are becoming more and more commonly used in dental surgeries and teeth whitening clinics across the country.



Treatment of gummy smiles can be done more efficiently and with less trauma than using a scalpel blade hence the healing time is significantly reduced.



The highly purified water in this amazing tool allows the dentist to remove decay in teeth as effectively as a drill but without the vibration and in some cases without the need for anesthetics. So no more embarrassing numb lip or cheeks after a dental visit!