Laser  Treatments

A laser is a high-technology device that generates a beam of concentrated light. This beam of light brings energy into your mouth to help your dentist remove areas of infection or tooth decay with great precision and accuracy. The laser beam sterilizes the affected area and seals off blood vessels, which minimizes the chance of infection or bleeding. Laser dental patients are much more comfortable both during and after treatment. That's because, in many instances, the need for anesthetic injections is reduced and in some instances eliminated, as well as the associated side effects. And that means less time spent in the dental chair!

Since the 1960s, lasers have been used on teeth and gums and because of technological advancements, lasers are now used globally. Laser dental treatments ensure low-power, meaning the device is gentle on the mouth.

There are many different types of lasers used in dentistry, and their applications vary. The most common use of lasers is for removing dental caries, old composite fillings, sterilizing  infected root canals, bone shaping, apthous ulcer treatment, crown lengthening, apicoectomy, periodontal (gum) treatment and oral surgery. We will explain the type of laser used in the office and how it will benefit you.

Benefits of Laser Dentistry?

Laser dentistry is a new technique that can improve the precision of your treatment while minimizing pain and recovery time. Here are some of the major benefits associated with laser dentistry:

Ability to do more than one procedure in a single appointment thereby saving you time and money	Less need for separate surgical appointments	Increased bone healing
Faster healing	Less time in the dental chair	Less noise than the traditional dental drill
Reduced risk of infection	Less bleeding	Less need for anesthesia or injections
		Better results
Reduced sensitivity	Less post-operative pain

Application of Laser Dentistry

The application of lasers in dentistry opens the door for dentists to perform a wide variety of dental procedures they otherwise may not be capable of performing. Dentists using lasers in dentistry have become adept at incorporating the state-of-the-art precision technology into a number of common and not-so-common procedures.

Hard Tissue (Tooth) Laser Dentistry Procedures

• Cavity Detector: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used for the early detection of cavities by providing a reading of the by-products produced by tooth decay.

• Dental Fillings/Tooth Preparation: Hard tissue dental lasers may eliminate the need for a local anesthetic injection and the traditional turbine dental drill. Lasers used in dental filling procedures are capable of killing bacteria located in a cavity, potentially leading to improved long term tooth restorations. However, dental lasers are not appropriate for the replacement of amalgam fillings, onlays or crowns.

• Tooth Sensitivity: Dental lasers may be used to seal tubules (located on the root of the tooth) that are responsible for hot and cold tooth sensitivity.

Soft Tissue (Gum) Laser Dentistry Procedures

• Crown Lengthening: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue (soft tissue laser) and bone (hard tissue laser) to expose healthier tooth structure. Referred to as crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for the placement of restorations.

• Gummy Smile: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.

• Muscle Attachment (Frenula): A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.

• Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis): Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.

Other Laser Dentistry Applications

• Viewing Tooth and Gum Tissues: Optical Coherence Tomography is a safer way to see inside tooth and gums in real time.

• Benign Tumors: Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.

• Cold Sores: Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.

• Nerve Regeneration: Photobiomodulation can be used to regenerate damaged nerves, blood vessels and scars.

• Sleep Apnea: In cases where sleep apnea is a result of a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat (which sometimes occurs with age), a laser assisted uvuloplasty or laser assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) procedure can be performed to reshape the throat and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea.

• Teeth Whitening: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used to speed up the bleaching process associated with teeth whitening.

• Temporomandibular Joint Treatment: Dental lasers may be used to quickly reduce pain and inflammation of the temporomandibular jaw joint.

Lasers represent an innovative and more precise technology for specific hard and soft tissue applications. If you choose a dentist who incorporates lasers into the procedures he/she performs, you may find that you feel more comfortable and less anxiety during your treatments.