Everything About Dental Lasers Safety Uses and Drawbacks

Laser Dentistry is a well-known procedure for dental care that is less painful and more efficient than conventional techniques. With the help of lasers, dentists are now able to perform various procedures with greater degree of precision.

Hollywood has shaped how we view lasers. They are frequently depicted as bright beams of light which can penetrate anything. This is why some individuals are cautious regarding laser dental procedures. This is far from the reality.

Continue reading to learn more about how dentists utilize lasers to treat their patients.

LASER TREATMENT PROCEDURES:

The two primary types of procedures utilized for laser dentistry are the hard tissue or soft tissue treatments. Hard tissue refers to teeth, while soft tissue refers to gums.

The Most Common Hard Tissue Procedures Are:

Lasers can detect early signs of tooth decay.
Dental fillings and tooth preparations -The use of local anesthesia, as well as traditional drills, are not usually required for laser treatments. Lasers can kill the bacteria that reside in the cavity, which may improve the longevity of the health and well-being of the tooth.
Treatment of tooth sensitivity – The teeth that feel sensitive to cold or hot are treated with dental lasers that encase tubules at the root of the tooth.

The Most Common Soft Tissue Procedures Are:

Treatment of the appearance of a “gummy smile”: Lasers are used to shape gum tissue that is associated with the ” gummy smile,” where the length of gums cover a large portion of a tooth.
It changes the shape of the bone and gum tissue to create healthy tooth structure.
If you have a large or tight frenulum, you could get a laser frenectomy. It is the frenulum, which is the skin fold beneath the front of your tongue, which binds it to the floor of your mouth. This treatment aids children whose frenulum is not as strong, causing them to become tongue-tied, have trouble nursing, or suffer from speech difficulties.
Lasers can eliminate soft tissue folds that are caused by poorly fitting dentures without any pain or sutures.

Other Laser Procedures Are:

Optical coherence technology allows a dentist to see the inside of a gum or tooth tissue without risk.
Lasers are able to remove cancerous tumors from the palate, gums, as well as the sides of cheeks and lips with a painless and non-suture-free procedure.
Treatment of the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) Lasers can alleviate pain and inflammation within the joint.
Nerve regeneration: Lasers may assist in repairing injured blood vessels and nerves and also scars.
Treatment of cold sores using lasers reduces healing time and helps ease the pain of cold sores.
Teeth whitening: Lasers accelerate the process of bleaching the teeth-whitening sessions.

These kinds of laser treatments may cost different prices based on the procedure and the laser equipment employed. In comparison to non-laser treatments, they are less costly due to the fact that laser treatments are generally completed in fewer sessions.

Dental insurance typically calculates reimbursement rates based on the procedure itself, not on the method employed. Thus, your reimbursement will likely be exactly the same as it would be for drilling and other procedures. It’s important to inquire about your policy in advance for the most up-to-date details.

IS LASER DENTAL TREATMENT SAFE?

The risks associated with lasers are comparatively low. It is important to locate a dentist who is certified to ensure that you are using the correct frequency or power level, as it can cause damage to tissues.

Some dentists are worried that marketers are insisting on the use of lasers above what is needed by the average person. Your dentist may require you to use glasses that are specially designed to protect your eyes from lasers.

WHAT ARE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF USING A LASER IN DENTISTRY?

Pros:

As compared to the conventional dentist drills, lasers

Can result in less discomfort in certain situations, which can reduce the need for anesthesia.
It can help aid in reducing anxiety among patients who are not comfortable with the dental drill.
Reducing swelling and bleeding treatment for soft tissues.
It could help protect a healthier tooth during the removal of a cavity.

Cons:

The drawbacks of lasers are that they

Lasers shouldn’t be used on teeth that have fillings that are in use.
Lasers aren’t suitable for use in most dental procedures commonly used. For example, lasers shouldn’t be employed for filling cavities in between teeth, around fillings that are old, or huge cavities that require to be prepared for crowns. Additionally, lasers cannot be used to take out the crowns that are defective, fill them with silver, or prepare teeth to be used for bridges.
Traditional drills are required to form the filling, modify the bite, or polish the filling when using a laser.
Lasers don’t completely eliminate the requirement for anesthesia.
Laser treatment is generally more expensive. The price of a laser is significantly more expensive than a drill for dental use. In comparison to around $600 for a conventional drill, lasers can range from just a few thousand dollars up to well over $100,000, which can be used to cut teeth.

ROLE OF DENTAL LASERS IN GUM TREATMENT

Gum disease is among the most frequent oral problems patients face. It damages the structure that holds teeth in their place. The stage that is the most advanced is known as periodontal diseases and needs urgent treatment to prevent the permanent damage to teeth and their structure.

Periodontal illness is caused by bacteria under the gums. The most popular treatments for it are flap surgery, root planing, and scaling.

The latter involves pulling the gums back to ensure that the gums and tooth pockets are cleaned. When anesthetics are utilized to stop the patient from experiencing discomfort during the procedure, many suffer from discomfort for two weeks following the procedure.

Lasers enable dentists to cleanse the tooth’s roots and clean as well as the gum pockets without needing to pull the gums of the patient back. This creates a more relaxing treatment for patients.

WANT TO TRY LASER DENTISTRY?

Laser dentistry is not something to be concerned about and can bring greater precision to the dental office. Dentists are discovering new ways to make use of lasers to ease discomfort and time to recover. If you’d like to experience the advantages of lasers in person, visit our dental clinic today to make an appointment.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lasers have been an aplenty dental instrument since the 90s. There are a variety of types of lasers that can be employed in a variety of dental procedures, like teeth whitening as well as for dealing with tooth decay gum diseases, as mouth lesions.

Although they have many advantages, lasers for dental use come with disadvantages. Certain procedures aren’t possible by lasers and there’s the risk of gum injuries or tooth pulp injury from the use of dental lasers.

Overall, however, dental laser therapy is highly effective and advantageous for modern dentistry. It can allow a procedure to be less painful and improve healing speed in the following.

FAQS

DOES DENTAL LASER WORK?

Lasers have significantly reduced and improved the process by vaporizing damaged tissues and eliminating the bacteria that cause the infection. Because there aren’t any bacteria species that resist the laser so you can be sure you will see your gums begin to heal.

WHAT IS THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT IN DENTAL LASERS?

Solea is a revolutionary dental laser technology which is effectively replacing the drill, needle, and scalpel that are used in dentistry. Solea is able to accommodate patients of all age groups and procedures of all kinds, without the need for anesthetics most of the time.

WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF LASERS IN DENTAL TREATMENT?

Although they are simpler to manage and less likely to cause human error, they aren’t perfect. If a mistake is made, the laser could harm some of the healthy dental pulp. Another possibility is the issue of anesthesia. While fewer people need it for laser treatment, however, it’s still an option.

IS LASER DENTISTRY PAINFUL?

#1 Lasers for dentistry are almost painless. When using soft tissue lasers they can block the nerve endings and blood vessels while they penetrate the tissues. As a result, patients will not feel any discomfort or even a small degree of pain.