Lasers

Lasers is “Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” Lasers emit light of different energies/wavelengths depending upon the type of Laser. Each individual laser has its own applications. The most common Lasers used in Dentistry are Soft Lasers used for soft tissue surgeries while others are effective on hard tissues like tooth enamel and bone.

Uses of Soft Dental Lasers

• Inflamed gums of the third molar: Soft Lasers help in removing the gum tissue surrounding the third molar, which prevents further accumulation of food debris and thus arrests any further inflammation.
• Crown Lengthening: This is required for making of crowns to provide extra support to the crown by exposing the surfaces of the teeth by use of Soft Dental lasers. The gum is reshaped to expose healthier tooth structure.
• Overgrown Gums: A few medications cause the gum tissue surrounding the teeth to swell. Soft lasers are useful in shaping the gums to an acceptable aesthetic and healthy appearance. The underlying cause of the swollen gums also needs to be considered and controlled.
• Tongue tie: It is a restricted frenulum, seen in children. A laser frenotomy is an ideal treatment option for children. A laser frenotomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.

• Cold sores and cankers: Soft lasers provide instant relief of pain from cold sores and cankers
• Benign Tumors: Soft lasers are useful to remove the benign tumor’s gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips without limited bleeding and pain
• Temporomandibular Joint Treatment: Soft Dental lasers may be used to reduce pain and inflammation of the temporomandibular jaw joint
• Sleep Apnea: Soft Dental lasers is used to treat sleep apnea if there is a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat. The procedure can be performed to reshape the tissues near the palate and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea
• Tooth Sensitivity: Dental lasers may be used to seal tubules (located on the root of the tooth) that are responsible for hot and cold tooth sensitivity.
• LASER whitening is superior to all other whitening techniques since the laser provides the highest light intensity available and the procedure is quicker and is done in the office at chair-side.

Uses of Hard Dental Lasers

• Dental Fillings/Tooth Preparation: Hard tissue dental lasers may eliminate the need for a local anesthetic injection and the traditional turbine dental drill.

Advantages of using LASERS in the dental field

• Bleeding is minimized in treated soft tissues, as the laser promotes blood clotting
• Surgery performed with LASERS in conjunction with anesthesia is absolutely pain-free
• Lower bacterial infections after the surgery as the laser light beam sterilizes the area and promotes healing and prevents infection
• The dental drill is noisy, whereas when we use a LASER instead of the drill, the patient is a lot more comfortable with the quieter treatment modality
• They cause less swelling and bleeding, which mean you heal faster
• Minimal Invasive technique, thus beneficial for patients suffering from heart disease as it allows for a stress free treatment, for the patient.