What Are Dental Lasers in Dentistry?

Laser dentistry has been around since the early 90s. This branch of dentistry is used to treat several dental problems by using light energy focused on diseased tissue. So, if you’re thinking about laser dentistry, you’re in the right place. This piece will explain in detail what dental lasers are, how they work, their pros and cons, and more.

What Are Dental Lasers?

Laser implies light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Dentist 55345 will use a dental laser to emit light energy in a narrow-concentrated beam to reshape or remove affected tissue. The most common types of lasers used in dentistry include erbium lasers, Nd: YAG lasers, diode lasers, and carbon (iv) oxide lasers.

When you visit the laser dentistry near you, the dentist will notify you that dental lasers have different uses. Some of their uses include:

• Reshaping gum tissue.
• Removing an inflamed gum tissue.
• Reshaping and removing gum and bone tissue during crown lengthening.
• Tooth preparation for composite bonding.
• Removing some parts of your tooth enamel.
• Repairing worn-down tooth fillings.
• Remove muscle ligaments that hinder lip or tongue movement.
• Alleviating discomfort from cankers and cold sores.
• Speeding up in-office tooth whitening.

How Are Laser Dentistry Procedures Performed?

There are two main procedures utilized for laser dentistry. The first is hard tissue procedures, which entail treating teeth problems. Some of the hard tissue procedures that the dentist near you can perform include:

• Treatment of sensitive teeth- dental lasers can be used to treat teeth sensitive to hot and cold drinks and foods. The lasers seal the tubes on your tooth roots to reduce the sensitivity.
• Dental fillings and preparation of teeth- during traditional tooth drilling, local anesthesia are administered, but it’s not the case with dental lasers. Moreover, dental lasers can kill bacteria in a cavity by early detection of the signs of tooth decay.

The second type of dental laser procedure is soft tissue treatment. Some of the soft tissue treatments performed with dental lasers include:

• Treating tongue frenulum attachment- patients with a tight or thick frenulum may benefit from dental laser frenectomy. The frenulum is the fold of skin under the front part of the tongue that anchors to the floor of the mouth. Failure to treat a thick or tight frenulum leads to speech problems and difficulty breastfeeding.
• Treatment of a gummy smile- have you been told by your peers that you have a weird or gummy smile? This is when you have excess gum tissue that covers much of your teeth, hindering a perfect smile. Fortunately, you can visit the laser dentistry near for treatment of the gummy smile.
• Removal of soft tissue fold- dental lasers can eliminate soft tissue folds from dentures that don’t fit well without causing pain.
• Crown lengthening- laser dentistry can be used to reshape bone and gum tissue for a healthier tooth, making it possible to replace tooth restorations without damaging the tooth’s structure.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Dentistry?

• It reduces anxiety in patients who are uncomfortable with the traditional tooth drill.
• Minimizes swelling and bleeding during soft tissue procedures compared to traditional dental procedures.
• It preserves more tooth structure during cavity removal as the lasers are more precise.
• It causes less pain in some dental procedures reducing the need for more local anesthesia.
• Wounds heal faster with dental lasers as they’re precise during treatment as cause less damage to the surrounding tissues.
• Less bacterial infections as the laser sterilizes the treated area.

What Are the Cons of Laser Dentistry?

• Hard lasers can, at times, damage or injure the dental pulp.
• Dental lasers are not suitable for teeth with dental fillings.
• There is a gum injury risk.
• Lasers don’t eliminate the need for anesthesia.
• Laser treatment is expensive compared to traditional dental procedures. For instance, laser treatment is costlier than dental drill treatment.

Conclusion

Taking proper care of your teeth might mean that you will never have to undergo dental laser treatment, which is good. Brushing your teeth twice, flossing once daily, and visiting Holger Dental Group – Minnetonka for regular dental checkups and deep cleanings will ensure that your teeth are healthy and free from cavity-causing bacteria.

Although laser dentistry might never replace traditional dentistry, it might become a common method for dental treatment in the coming years.