Treatments that use Laser
- Laser pocket disinfection
- Laser-assisted flap surgery
- Laser-assisted Root Canal Treatment
- Tongue Tie
- Frenectomy
- Gum Depigmentations
- Abscess Drainage
- Teeth Whitening / Bleaching
- Second stage implant surgery
- Infection around implants
- Extraction sites
- TMJ Pain
Benefits of Laser Dentistry
- The usage of the laser can either make a dental procedure completely non-invasive or make it minimally invasive.
- Blood loss is minimal, due to the nature of the invasiveness.
- The healing is much faster.
- The penetration and precision are much better in case of infection removal.
- They leave healthy tissues untouched due to the wavelength difference.
- In procedures like teeth whitening, they provide more stability to the whitening procedure.
A Brief on the Treatments using Laser
Laser Gum Treatment
- Gum diseases generally present themselves by inflammation, infection, and swelling of gums.
- Treatment involves removal of tartar and hardened crust from below the gum line as well as diseased tissue from the pockets. Treatment of these infected pockets with laser is termed as Laser Pocket Disinfection.
- The use of Lasers allows for the painless removal of the tartar and hardened crust.
- The laser works by producing an invisible beam of energy at a wavelength that can tell the difference between healthy as well as infected gum tissue
- This difference in wavelength guides in the removal of the infected one.
- The laser can remove up to 99% of bacteria causing gum disease.
- Using lasers to treat gum infections means no cutting, less bleeding, less swelling and less discomfort to the patient.
Laser-assisted Flap Surgery
- People with periodontal diseases are the best candidates for laser-assisted flap surgery
- When infection and the resulting inflammation due to periodontal disease manifests, the tissue attached to the teeth becomes loose.
- Infections display as “pockets” and commonly refers to as periodontal pockets.
- Pockets are potential spaces to lodge pathogens (disease-causing microbes). They also lock food debris there.
- Dentists employ lasers to treat these pocket tissues.
- They act as a disinfectant and also they act as a scalpel that cuts and shapes the infected gum tissue thereby removing the infected tissues completely.
Laser-assisted Root Canal Treatment
- The laser is used to vaporize only infected tissue of the root canal.
- It penetrates deep into the smaller tubules and removes the bacteria without causing much damage to the tissue.
- The laser also sterilizes the root canal which increases the success rate of the root canal procedure.
- Lasers reduce postoperative complications like inflammation and swelling.
- The general medicines prescribed after the root canal procedure can be done away in case laser is used. This factor is dependant on the patient and will be decided by the dentist.
Tongue Tie
- Tongue tie is a condition where the tongue or the lips are held too tightly by the ligament which attaches the tongue and lips to the gums.
- The Treatment involves releasing the ligament which is holding the tongue and lips.
- The laser is used in removing the ligament tissue precisely which is holding the tongue and the lips tightly.
- The procedure is painless, involves less bleeding, no stitches, and minimal post-procedure discomfort.
Frenectomy
- Some people will have a bigger labial frenum. The labial frenum is the piece of tissue that you can feel in the central part of the inner upper lips.
- When they are bigger and larger, the labial frenum might extend in between the two upper front teeth.
- This results in teeth spacing and space so created may not close until they are cut surgically.
- Frenectomy is a surgical procedure where this excess labial frenum is removed using a laser.
- Laser frenectomy is minimally invasive.
Gum Depigmentation
- Discolored gums are due to the accumulation of melanin pigment in the gums due to genetic factors or other reasons like smoking or bad oral habits.
- A laser is used to remove the pigments on the gums easily.
- With minimal anesthesia and just one sitting with the dentist, gum depigmentation can be achieved.
Abscess Drainage
- Severe infection leads to abscession on the gums at the roots.
- Drainage of the infection is achieved by using a laser.
- The usage of laser does not involve an incision and it also deeply penetrates to remove the infections.
Teeth Whitening / Bleaching
- Stains on the teeth are by a variety of reasons like taking strong beverages like tea, coffee, colas, wines, smoking, or sometimes the teeth are naturally yellow in color.
- Teeth whitening is by applying the teeth with a whitening agent after covering the gums with a protective shield.
- A powerful beam of the laser then exposes the whitening agent covering the teeth.
- Within 60 minutes a brilliant and healthy smile is possible with this therapy.
- Laser-assisted teeth whitening provides more stability and sustainability than conventional teeth whitening systems.
Second stage Implant Surgery
- After the placement of abutments as part of giving dental implants, they are allowed to heal first and only then the crown is placed.
- When the healing takes place, the gum tissues cover the abutment heal.
- So as the next stage the dentist normally uses a scalpel to uncover the implants.
- Lasers are found to be better suited for this. Because they uncover the implants placed without causing any blood loss and they also provide a precise result.
Infection around Dental Implants
- Dental Caries per se does not affect the Dental implants because they are made of titanium and they have a hard build.
- But the gum tissues adjacent to the dental implants are prone to infection.
- If there is an infection around the implants, laser gives a better resolution from infection.
- Laser not only disinfects but also provide the desired result without blood loss.
Extraction Sites
- Tooth extraction is normally for placing dental implants after the damaged tooth that could not be salvaged is removed.
- The wisdom tooth may also be extracted in case there is impaction.
- The extracted tooth site always streams with infection and complete removal this infection is prime before the wound closes.
- A laser is a perfect disinfectant and they disinfect effectively.
TMJ Pain
- TMJ pain manifests due to extensive distress to the jaw joint.
- Laser treatment of TMJ pain is basically non-invasive
- Low-energy Laser can penetrate the jaw tissues and can be useful for managing pain.
- The laser treatment enhances tissue healing by reducing the inflammation in the jaw joints
- Multiple sitting of laser treatment will bring much-needed relief from jaw joint pain.
How do the lasers used in laser dentistry work?
Dental lasers generally radiate energy in the form of light. Lasers use lights of different wavelengths for different surface targets. The different surfaces that dentists employ lasers for are enamel, gum tissue, decayed portions of the teeth, etc. Each surface absorbs laser at a different wavelength. Moreover, extensive research has made known the frequency of laser required for each surface to have an effective treatment.
Do lasers hurt?
Laser treatments are virtually painless. Laser treatments usually eliminate the need for anaesthesia. You might experience discomfort after the procedure which usually disappears quickly.
How long does a laser dental treatment take?
The treatment procedure usually depends upon the severity of the condition. The estimation of the time requirements to complete the entire treatment is only after the complete evaluation of your condition. Also, the nature of the treatment plays a very vital role in determining the time factor. Time taken to disinfect the root canal using laser can be obviously different in comparison to the time taken in gum contouring using the laser.
Is Laser gum treatment costlier than conventional gum treatment?
Laser gum treatments generally aren’t very expensive in comparison to conventional gum treatments. They may be slightly more expensive or equally priced. Usually, the cost of gum treatment is proportional to the severity of the condition and the number of teeth and the number of sittings involved in the treatment. Feel free to contact Expert Dental Care to know more about our treatment prices for various laser dental treatments
Other Specialty Dentistry Treatments at Expert Dental Care
Experience Best-In-Class Specialty Dental Treatments.
