Conventional Dentistry vs. Laser Dentistry

By Rishita Jaju, DMD

Smile Wonders

. https://www.smilewonders.com/

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Conventional Dentistry vs. Laser Dentistry

What comes to mind when you think of the word “dentistry”? You may think of a person with a mask and gloves on with a drill in hand. In reality, while this is true, many dentists are employing laser dentistry, which has made major advancements in recent years. There are several uses for lasers, including pain-free dentistry.

Since the invention of the Waterlase^® dental laser, there is a new way of removing tooth decay. This can reduce the need for uncomfortable novocaine shots, accompanied lingering numbness and drooling.

In many cases, patients don’t need anesthetic with the use of water lasers. Often, we can avoid that numb feeling and there is rarely downtime for simple procedures like fillings. Children can even return to school right after their appointments!

Water lasers are very precise so they doesn’t require removal of nearly as much tooth structure. It is always better to keep more of your own tooth structure, leaving you less vulnerable to the need for crowns, bridges or dentures later in life.

Should you have a tooth that has deeper decay and requires a root canal, water lasers can clean out the tooth chamber and roots. And, should you need to remove a tooth all together, water lasers can loosen the gums around your tooth allowing the dentist to remove a tooth easier.

Yes, not only do water lasers help with fillings and hard tissues/bone, it also has the ability to assist in soft tissue procedures.

Maybe you’ve heard of someone being “tongue-tied”? In the past this phrase would often be an expression for someone who may trip over their words, but after years of research we now know that tongue-ties and lip-ties can affect your speech and even your eating habits.

A water laser can help with removing the tissue known as the “tie” and can improve your way of life. This procedure can help speech and orthodontic concerns for children and adults, and feeding or nursing concerns for kids and infants.

With soft tissue, water lasers desensitize and remove soft tissue rather than “cutting” it. Since the laser desensitizes the tissue, there usually isn’t a need for local anesthetic or putting a baby to sleep under general anesthesia to complete the procedure. The surgery site is clean and can be seen easily. This can be done without the use of scalpels or sutures. There is also less blood from the surgical site because water lasers coagulate the tissue before removing it. It can also soothe painful ulcerations in the mouth like canker sores, treat soft tissue diseases like gum disease and can even detect cancer in the mouth.

Water lasers can be many times more convenient and beneficial to patients who require dental work.  Enter this new decade with a laser-certified dentist that can help you get the healthy teeth you’ve always wanted.