Dental Lasers are an exciting innovation to the practice of dentistry. Laser dentistry is capable of significantly minimizing discomfort, enhancing recovery times and improving the overall efficiency of the dental office.
Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In essence, a dental laser is a medical device that generates a precise beam of concentrated light energy. This beam sterilizes the area and can simultaneously coagulate blood vessels which minimize the occurrence of infection(s) and/or bleeding. Patient discomfort is decreased and the need for anesthetic in many cases may be completely eliminated. Certain procedures can be performed in a fraction of the time, which means less time in the chair for patients and greater practice throughput for dentists. Lasers are used to perform a variety of hard and soft tissue procedures, including cutting (hard and soft tissue), coagulation, bacterial decontamination, curing and activation of bleaching materials.
In the hands of a qualified trained dentist, lasers are very safe. As with any device used in the dental practice, the dentist must undertake the appropriate training. Even though lasers are somewhat new to the general dental practice, dental lasers were first introduced in the 1960’s and the safety of dental lasers is substantiated by several years of qualified research and a multitude of published reference papers. The FDA has approved several different hard and soft laser dentistry applications, including use on adults and children.
In most cases, pain is either eliminated entirely or significantly reduced as a result of the lasers selective, precise control. With laser dentistry, one of the fundamental advantages is the minimal requirement for anesthetic. When performing many of the procedures, the laser minimizes harmful bacteria in the oral cavity, eliminates bleeding through coagulation, and reduces pain, in many procedures to the degree that no anesthetic is required. Lasers also promote faster healing and less post-operative inflammation, which minimizes the discomfort associated with the healing process
Benefits to Dentists are:
Soft Tissue Laser Benefits:
- Durable Timely Hemostasis
- Lean Dry Field / Better Restorations
- Less Stress for Soft Tissue Applications
- Minimal Anesthetic
- Elimination of Packing Cord
- Immediate Aesthetic Result
- Fiber Access to Confined Areas
- Precise Incision/Excision
- Endo Canal Sterilization
Hard Tissue Benefits:
- Single Step Procedures
- Multiple Quadrant Single Entry
- Better Bonding Strength (Laser Etching)
- Anesthetic Free Cavity Preparations
- No Harmful Plume
- No Micro-Fractures
- Precise Ablation of Target Tissue
- No Vibration
- No Waiting for Numbing To Occur
- Ability to Perform Osseo Procedures
General Practice Benefits:
- Practice Marketing Advantage
- Staff Enthusiasm
- Less Stress for Laser Procedures
- Practice Revenue Growth Potential
- Less Need To Refer Patients Out
- Efficiencies; More Procedures/Visit
Benefits to Patient
Soft Tissue Laser Benefits:
- Minimal Requirement for Anesthetic
- Less Invasive Perio Therapy
- Minimized Requirement for Sutures
- Less Postoperative Sensitivity
- Immediate Cosmetic Result
- Selective Removal of Diseased Tissue
- Enhanced Healing
- Less Postoperative Inflammation
- Photodynamic Therapy
Hard Tissue Benefits:
- Eliminates Anesthesia for Cavity Preps
- Conserves Healthy Tooth Structure
- No Waiting for Numbing To Subside
- No Needles
- No Vibration
- No Drill Sound
- Selective Removal of Diseased Tissue
General Practice Benefits:
- Minimally Invasive Procedures
- Faster Procedures (In Some Cases)
- Bacterial Decontamination
- Less Chair Time
- Less Stress/Anxiety
There are a variety of different lasers approved for use in dentistry.
- Endodontic (canal preparation)
- Laser etching
- Caries resistance
- Laser-assisted soft tissue curettage / Sulcular debridement
- Selective removal of granulation tissue
- Bacterial decontamination
- Gingivectomy
- Gingivoplasty
- Aesthetic contouring
- Frenectomy/Frenotomy
- Tissue retraction for impressions – Eliminates need to pack cord
- Implant exposure
- Biopsy incision and excision
- Treatment of aphthous ulcers
- Oral lesion therapy
- Diagnosis – Trans-illumination for detection of caries micro-fractures
- Coagulation / Hemostasis
- Tissue fusion – replacing sutures
- Laser-assisted flap surgery
- Removal of granulation tissue
- Papillectomy
- Pulpotomy
- Pulpotomy as an adjunct t o root canal therapy
- Perculectomy
- Vestibuloplasty
- Leukoplakia
- Incisions and draining of abscesses
- Removal of hyperplastic tissues
- Fibroma removal
- Light activation of bleaching material
- Composite Curing
- Ceramic Onlay – Ceramic Crown
- Ceramic Laminates/Veneers
- Posterior/Anterior Composites
This device is FDA approved and has gone through significant testing involving all classes of cavity preparation on both children and adults. The benefits drill free dentistry is shared by patient and clinician as patients no longer fear the sound or vibration of the drill and in most cases, do not require injections. Dentists are now able to perform multiple quadrant dentistry in a quick and efficient manner and no longer need to wait for numbing to occur.
Safe, quick, convenient and boasting significant results, laser whitening is one of the most lucrative laser dentistry procedures and it can deliver excellent results while minimizing the discomfort, inconvenience, excess time and potential chemical absorption risk associated with other whitening procedures.
The results may vary by patient however with proper patient selection, materials and technique, significant results are usually attainable in a single visit procedure.
Laser whitening not only removes common food stains but is also effective on tougher stains such as those caused by tetracycline.
The dental laser often eliminates the unpleasant after effects associated with many dental procedures- soreness, bleeding, packing, stitches and numbness. Most patients find laser procedures remarkably comfortable. In most cases, anesthetic (needle) may not be required. People who have experienced laser treatment report feeling the touch of the hand piece and a sensation of warmth.
Laser procedures heal just as fast as conventional procedures, and you may experience less post operative pain. In the case of gum surgery, the dental laser reduces the amount of scar tissue and minimizes the chance of infection. For laser procedures on teeth in most cases, there is no numb feeling and you can return to your daily activities just as if you never went to the dentist.