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What is laser dentistry?
A laser is an instrument which produces a high beam of light energy. It reacts with the objects it comes in contact with. It can reshape tissues. When this laser is used in the field of dentistry, it can be regarded as laser dentistry. It is used in the field of dentistry since 1990. It can provide effective treatment for many dental diseases and procedures.
Is it a safe way of treatment?
It is relatively a safe procedure if it is done by an expert who understands how to use the instrument and has received specialized training. Dr. Mark Hagigi, a Rockville Dentist, is of the opinion that the safety of the process depends on the experience of the dentist to use laser beams to treat tissues without damaging them. Overexposure and high intensity can damage the tissues. So, the dentist and the patient have to wear special glasses to protect their eyes during the procedure.
What are the types of laser treatment available?
There are two types of laser treatments. The hard tissue laser and the soft tissue laser. Different laser treatments are used to perform various kinds of dental procedures.
- Hard Tissue laser: This type of laser is highly absorbable by the bone.It is used to cut bones and teeth perfectly. It can also be used to shape the teeth and to smoothen it for bonding procedures. It is also used to smooth old fillings and broken tooth structures.
- Soft Tissue laser: This type of laser is highly absorbable by water and hemoglobin. It is used to treat soft tissues like gums for periodontal diseases. It is also useful in killing bacteria and curing infections and stimulates growth in tissues. Soft tissue laser can penetrate below the soft tissue without harming the blood vessels and nerves endings. It makes the process almost painless. It also allows the tissues to heal quickly. It is the reason why more and more dentists are opting for laser treatments for treating periodontal diseases.
Some dentists use a highly developed laser instrument which can generate both hard tissue and soft tissue laser according to the need of the patient.
What are the different procedures where laser technology can be used?
A laser can be used for the detection of some dental issues like tooth decay, and many other treatments like:
- Dental Fillings: Laser treatments can be used to drill the tooth and kill the bacteria present in the cavities. It replaces the traditional drill used by the dentist and can be very useful in purifying the cavity and lead to a successful restoration of the teeth. But it cannot be used in processes involving amalgam fillings and small fillings like Inlays and Onlays.
- Sensitivity: Dental lasers can reach the tooth root and seal the tubules responsible for sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
- Crown lengthening: Laser treatment can be used to for crown lengthening. The dentist may remove the gum tissues or bones to increase the length of the teeth. In case a tooth breaks at the gum line and is not enough to hold the crown then crown lengthening is suggested. Laser treatment can also be used to reshape the gum of people with a gummy smile by removing extra gum tissue and exposing healthy teeth structure.
- Frenectomy: A laser frenectomy is suggested for children who are tongue-tied or have limited tongue movements. These children have difficulty in breastfeeding and problem in speech development.
- Epulis: With the help of laser soft tissue folds or epulis can be removed painlessly.
- Benign Tumours: Dental lasers are often used for the removal of benign tumors from the gums, cheeks, lips, and palate in a painless way.
- Sleep Apnea: Patients with sleep apnea experience pauses in breathing while they are asleep. One of the reasons for sleep apnea is the overgrowth of tissues in the throat which closes the air passage. In such cases, a laser is used to remove the extra tissues from the throat to solve the problem of sleep apnea.
- TMJ: Low-intensity laser treatments treatment is used to reduce the pain caused by TMJ.
- Teeth Whitening: Some dentists use the low-density laser treatment to accelerate the bleaching process of teeth whitening.
What are the benefits of laser treatment?
There are many benefits of laser treatment:
- These treatments are precise.
- Most of the time they are painless.
- Treatments using soft tissue laser treatment do not need stitches.
- The post-treatment recovery is quick.
- It damages very little surrounding tissue compared to other procedures.
- Compared to traditional procedures, laser treatment leads to minor bleeding.
Related Article: Dental Problems And Their Possible Treatments
Laser technology has revolutionized dental treatments. Laser dentistry is a preferred choice for patients who are anxious about the pain associated with dental procedures. This reason is responsible for laser dentistry becoming more popular day by day.
References:
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_laser
- https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/laser-use-dentistry#1
- http://montgomerydentalassociates.com/soft-tissue-laser/