Laser dentistry is a type of dental care that involves the use of lasers. This type of dentistry can be used to treat both hard and soft tissues. For example, laser dentistry may be used to treat cavities and lengthen crowns, but it is also used for reshaping the gums and regenerating damaged nerves. While laser dentistry isn’t a standard part of dental care, some dentists assert that it is a good choice for individuals who are nervous about trips to the dentist, hoping to enjoy greater comfort in the dentist’s chair, or hoping to reduce the overall recovery time from dental treatment.
When a doctor performs laser dentistry, he uses special dental devices to apply laser energy to the area of the mouth that needs treatment. The wavelengths that are used in laser dentistry may depend on whether the dentist is treating soft tissue or hard tissue as well as the type of dental problem the dentist is treating. Laser technology, however, provides for the precision treatment of a variety of dental issues.
One of the ways this type of dentistry may be used is to detect areas in which cavities may develop. For example, a dentist may use a dental laser to look for tiny pits in the teeth that may become cavities. This early detection of tooth decay may allow dentists to head cavities off before they can become a problem. For example, dentists may cover the early signs of tooth decay with a special sealant that helps prevent them from becoming cavities.
For those who hate having cavities filled because of the sound of the drill, laser dentistry may provide a solution. With this type of dentistry, a dentist can destroy the bacteria in a person’s tooth with dental lasers. In such a case, a dentist may not need to use the traditional drill and may even skip local anesthesia or use less of it. In fact, there is a range of dental procedures that may be performed without local anesthesia thanks to laser dentistry.
Another benefit of laser dentistry is that it may translate into faster wound healing. A person may recover from dental procedures much faster when lasers are used, and they can even be used to minimize blood loss and regenerate nerves that have been damaged. This type of dentistry may even be used for removing benign tumors from the mouth, without causing the patient pain or requiring stitches to close the wounds.
