Laser Dentistry Can Provide Amazing Benefits

By Karl A. Smith, DDS, MS

Karl A. Smith, DDS, LLC

. http://www.drkarlsmith.com/

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Laser Dentistry Can Provide Amazing Benefits

Lasers have long been the standard of care in medicine for many surgical and cosmetic procedures. Lasers are used for LASIK vision correction, wrinkle and hair removal, vein therapy, and even some organ removals.

The Waterlase dental laser was approved for use in dental procedures in 1998 and is constantly updating its technology to be able to perform almost every dental procedure possible.

One of several procedures now available, with the use of the Waterlase dental laser, is more effective and more comfortable periodontal therapy to help eliminate bacterial infections in the gums and bone. The laser acts to kill the bacteria while preserving the natural bone and gum tissue contours whenever possible.

This results in the best outcome for the patient because the teeth remain covered with pink, healthy gum tissue instead of being “long and ugly.” Patients who have these infections can quickly recover with few or no sutures (stitches) and very little discomfort.

This is a dramatic improvement over older periodontal treatment techniques where a lot of good gum and bone were removed to “reduce pockets.” There is also a ton of research and data to support the long-term results of laser-assisted periodontal treatment versus traditional therapy.

Waterlase uses laser energy and a gentle spray of water to perform laser-assisted pocket reduction therapy as well as a wide range of other dental procedures – without the heat, vibration and pressure associated with the dental drill. With many procedures, it’s possible to use less anesthetic, and often no anesthetic at all.

Another great part of using the Waterlase laser is that your dentist can often get you in and out of the office faster, since it’s less likely that you’ll need an injection. Research shows that the vast majority of patients don’t.

Using the Waterlase for procedures reduces bleeding, post-operative pain, swelling and the need for pain medication in many cases.

Dentists using a Waterlase are able to remove tooth enamel decay (the hardest substance in the body), bone and gum tissue precisely while leaving surrounding areas unaffected. This conserves and allows you to keep more of the healthy tooth structure while eliminating the bad stuff.   

Use a laser dentist and periodontist whenever possible to gain the benefits of what laser dentistry has to offer.