Minimally invasive laser treatment is now a new standard for oral care.
The use of laser is one of the latest advancements in dental technology. This new invention allows for a less invasive means of surgery, which can help dentists overcome many hurdles when treating gum infections, cavities, or other oral conditions.
Minimally invasive medical treatment involving lasers is now a new standard for oral care. As the preservation of natural tissue is to be paramount to the success of any surgery. Like: non-anesthetic procedures, reduced post-operative irritability, and enable clinically better-looking tissue restorations; however, for most dentists who use laser equipment, the biggest concern of laser-assisted cavity preparations is the “slowness” of lasers cutting into the tooth. Under magnification, lasers can cut tooth structure efficiently;
However, despite that, laser cavity preparations continue to pose challenges to users and preclude dentists from incorporating a hard tissue cutting laser into their practice because of shallow penetration depth and narrow fiber tips, and the laser light’s end-cutting nature.
Laser Dentistry: Laser surgery isn’t just limited to dentistry, but many people would have never heard of laser dentistry before having it done. Dentists use lasers in various dental procedures to remove overgrown tissue, reshape the gums, or whiten teeth. Laser dentistry is ideal in the case of children who become anxious or afraid when having dental work done.
Laserdontists: Who are they?
Laserdontists are medical professionals who are experts in using lasers to treat any oral conditions and use highly focused light beams to alter or remove tissue in small amounts. However, the term Laserdontist is new, and as such, it is not as widely used but instead, the word laser dentist is used more often to refer to dentists who use laser in their practice of dentistry.
Treatments made possible by the use of Laser Dentistry:
Most issues laser dentistry treats are related to the gums. Some of these include:
Canker sore and cold sore pain treatments.
Treating gum disease.
Treating root canal infections.
Exposing wisdom teeth.
Biopsies.
Gum reshaping.
Removing gum inflammation.
Removing throat tissue that causes sleep apnea.
Regenerating damaged nerves.
Removing benign oral tumors.
Advantages of Laser Dentistry
Dentists choose laser dentistry because of the distinct benefits that make the procedures go more smoothly and reduce discomfort and healing time.
Patients are less likely to need sutures
Anesthesia may not be needed
The laser can sterilize the gums, making infection less likely
Minimal damage to gums shortens the healing time
Patients lose less blood than traditional surgery
What can be expected during a laser dental surgery?
When you go to the dentist for laser treatment, just like when you go for fillings, you receive anesthesia, though it might be much less than what you might be expecting.
During the procedure, you won’t feel any vibrations or discomfort from the laser-like you do from the drill. Any bleeding that occurs gets wiped away. Your mouth will be held open by a prop as the dentist uses the laser treatment to approach your concerns.
No Post-Surgery trauma
If you’ve ever had gum surgery done by any usual methods that don’t use laser, you can expect that your post-operative experience after laser dentistry will be much better. unlike scalpel procedures, you won’t have an open wound with laser surgery. Because laser causes far less bleeding than a scalpel, you wont need to see the site of surgery to bleed very much when you’ve returned home.
The Types of Lasers Used in Dentistry
The two main types of lasers dentists use during laser procedures are hard tissue (Erbium Lasers) and soft tissue lasers(Co2 lasers). Each laser uses a different wavelength that makes it appropriate for cutting into that specific type of tissue. This method works because each wavelength of light is absorbed differently by different kinds of tissue. By altering the light’s wavelength (and sometimes pulse), scientists have figured out how to craft lasers with light wavelengths compatible with the tissues in your mouth.
Hard Tissue Lasers or (Erbium lasers) and their Uses
A hard tissue laser is used primarily for your teeth. One of these laser wavelength cuts through both water and bone, specifically the calcium phosphate that’s in your bones and your teeth. These lasers can very accurately cut into your teeth, remove small amounts of dentin for shaping purposes, or prepare for dental procedures. Hard tissue lasers are used for:
Detecting cavities.
Managing sensitivity.
Preparing teeth for fillings.
Researchers have found several advantages to using Erbium hard tissue lasers. Erbium hard tissue lasers can prepare enamel, dentin, caries, cementum, and bone in addition to cutting soft tissue. Hard tissue lasers can reduce or eliminate vibrations & the audible sounds of the drills, microfractures, discomfort, and the fear felt by patients commonly associated with high-speed hand-drills are what makes it ideal for dental surgeries. Laserdontists use hard tissue lasers along with a reduced amount of local anesthetic for many procedures.
Soft Tissue Lasers or (CO2 Lasers) and their Uses
The soft tissue lasers or Co2 lasers use a light wavelength that hemoglobin and water absorb readily, making soft tissue lasers ideal for gum work. Some soft tissue lasers are diode lasers, which is a type of continuous-wave laser.
These lasers are ideal for cutting into soft tissue and sealing the exposed blood vessels simultaneously. That is why you don’t bleed very much during laser dentistry and why healing is quicker after laser dentistry. Soft tissue lasers are great for cosmetic procedures because you can begin to see results right away. Soft tissue lasers can be used for:
Lengthening crowns.
Dealing with restricted tongue movement.
Reshaping the gums to create a more pleasing smile.
Removing folds in oral soft tissues caused by dentures.
If you’re having laser gum surgery, you can expect a more effortless procedure and a quick recovery.
Laser dentistry is a handy solution to many issues faced by dentists and patients. You should ask your dentist about laser dentistry the next time you visit your dentist for a checkup.
