What Can A Dental Laser Do For You?

Though the dental laser is not yet able to be used for every dental procedure, the Waterlase MD dental laser has multiple settings that allow it to be used for a variety of services.

The most common is for tooth colored fillings and their related “cousin”, sealants. Water, energized by the laser, powers away tooth decay and creates a better bonding surface for the filling material. The laser also helps reduce the number of bacteria in the prepared cavity, which often means less post-op sensitivity for you.

Disinfection is also a key component of root canals, where our goal is to clean the infection from your tooth. Laser energy has been shown to penetrate some of the small tubes that go off the main canal at right angles—areas that our traditional instruments and rinses may not reach.

Another area of the mouth that benefits from the disinfecting properties of laser dentistry is deep pockets that form between your teeth and gums when you have gum disease. Bacteria become trapped in these pockets, damaging your gums and bone. A series of weekly treatments with the dental laser keep the bacteria count at lower levels to reduce bone loss around your teeth and promote gum healing.

Sores in and around your mouth are often painful—and there’s not really a good way to put a band-aid over them. Gels and pastes made for the mouth don’t last. Good news! The Waterlase creates a natural “band-aid” like cover over the area that doesn’t wash away. Pain decreases because food and air can’t get to the injured area, and there’s faster healing. It works for traumatic injuries, canker sores, and cold sores. As a bonus, some studies show that the lesion won’t reappear in an area that’s been treated with the dental laser!

Broken teeth, gumline decay, and erupting wisdom teeth can leave your gums overlapping the area where your dentist needs to work. With the Waterlase, your gum can be pushed away from the work area at the same appointment. (Contrast that with having to have traditional surgery at a separate appointment and waiting a week to have your other dental treatment.)

Cosmetic gum reshaping is possible too. If your gums look uneven or bulky, which is particularly noticeable on your upper front teeth, the laser makes it easy to recontour them. Thin muscular bands of tissue called frenums that can tug on gums creating recession or that can push teeth apart slightly can be made broader to relieve the tension on surrounding tissues.

And overall the dental laser creates less heat, less pressure and less vibration than traditional methods. Many procedures can be done without “novocaine” or long-term numbing. Some can even be done with only a high level topical anesthetic whose effects wear off more quickly than injected local anesthetic. The laser energy reduces the number of bacteria so your tissues have a better environment to heal, and it creates less trauma and bleeding versus traditional surgical procedures, meaning you’ll be less uncomfortable.

If you’d like to learn more about laser dentistry and how it can help you, please call my office at 440-960-1940 or visit my website at www.drjrobb.com. We’ll be saving a seat for you!

*Note: The information in this article is not a guarantee that any treatment discussed can be done for you. The information in this article is not meant to replace the clinical judgement of your healthcare professionals.