A Must Have for Dental Practices
Lasers in dentistry. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie right? If dentists weren't scary enough, now they're wielding lasers like some kind of dental Darth Vader? What do they do with them? Is it safe?
Whenever people first hear about the use of lasers in modern dentistry these questions often come to their minds. However, there is nothing strange, or scary, about the practice at all, and in fact, lasers are helping to make dental treatment faster, more effective and, in many cases, a lot less uncomfortable.
Uses for Dental Lasers
Dental lasers are actually not really new, they've been around since the mid-nineties, but it's only more recently that they are being more widely used. And they are being used in a number of different ways. Lasers can be used more efficiently remove decay from a tooth and then prepare it to receive a filling. They can also be utilised to help fight infection and reduce inflammation, especially when a patient is suffering from painful gum disease.
And then there is that most feared of dental procedures; the root canal. If you've never had one, you have quite probably heard that this is a dental procedure from hell. In the right hands, that is nowhere near the truth, as the modern root canal is a far more efficient dental surgery than it might have been back in your parents or grandparents day.
However, lasers are helping to make the root canal even more effective. A laser root canal often means the procedure is shorter, there is less initial pain and bleeding, the recovery and healing time is faster, and being approached with what essentially looks like a simple beam of light is a lot less scary than a sharp metal instrument.
How Do Dental Lasers Work?
Now that we've established that lasers are very useful tools for a skilled dentist to have, you are probably wondering just how they work.
Like all lasers, dental lasers work by delivering energy in the form of a beam of light. When used in dentistry the laser can be used as a cutting tool, or to safely 'vaporise' damaged tissue. This is especially effective in a root canal, as the laser can be manipulated more easily to clean the root and remove all that nasty debris more effectively than traditional tools can.
Now, dental lasers are not replacing traditional dentistry tools and procedures completely. Instead, they are being used in conjunction with them to help offer patients a better overall experience when they visit the dentist. Not all dentists are trained to use lasers right now, there is a learning curve, but by taking the time to seek one out who is you may just be getting closer to that shorter, less painful, less intimidating experience in the dental chair we're all looking for.
The Emergency Dentist Says:
Dental lasers are just one of the innovations we make use of to provide you with the best possible experience. And no, we're still wearing our white coats, there's not a black cape or helmet in sight!