As
dentists strive to create the perfect smile, they are continually
using new technology to improve patient care. Laser
dentistry technology is the most practical and least invasive
technology available to deliver restorative and preventive care
What
is Laser Dentistry?
The term laser stands for light
amplification by
stimulated emission of radiation – a device that produces and
amplifies light. The light can be focused into a tiny point to do
very fine, exact work. It is so precise in dental surgery that
there isn’t as much tissue swelling. It is gentle on soft gum
tissue and the heat from the laser also has a sterilization effect.
The Advantages of Laser Dentistry
The
precision and unique features of dental lasers are such that laser
therapy has been associated with a conservative approach, extreme
safety, and comfortable treatment for many patients. The precision
of dental lasers is due to the degree of control that dentists
trained in laser dentistry have over power output, duration of
exposure, and the size of the procedure's area of
focus. The unique features of dental lasers reflect recent
discoveries associated with the powerful effects of light-energy
when dosed as medicine. Some of the advantages are:
- Procedures
performed using dental lasers may not require sutures.
- Some
traditional procedures performed under anesthesia do not require
anesthesia with the use of the laser.
- Patient
bleeding is minimized during laser dentistry procedures because
the high-energy light beam aids in the clotting (coagulation) of
exposed blood vessels, inhibiting blood loss.
- Bacterial
infections are minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes
any area being worked on.
- Because dental
lasers are very precise medical devices, they can actually
minimize the amount of damage caused to the tissue surrounding a
procedure's area of focus.
- Wounds heal
faster and tissues can be regenerated.
- Overall,
patients experience less pain and much faster recovery time
When it laser dentistry used?
Examples of procedures that are routinely
performed in our office using laser dentistry are:
- Clinical crown lengthening
- Soft tissue debridement
- Orthodontic tissue control
- Frenum release
- Biopsies
- Cold sore treatment
- Implant access
If you have any questions about laser dentistry
please talk to Dr. Glenn or Dr. Claiborne. They would be happy
to answer all of your questions. You may also visit the
Academy of Laser Dentistry website,
an independent, non-profit organization that specializes in patient
education of lasers in dentistry.
