LASERS (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation).
With new advancements in technology , lasers have become an important part of dentistry .Laser dentistry can be a precise and effective way to perform many dental procedures. The potential for laser dentistry to improve dental procedures rests in the dentist's ability to control power output and the duration of exposure on the tissue (whether gum or tooth structure), allowing for treatment of a highly specific area of focus without damaging surrounding tissues.
BENEFITS OF LASER IN DENTISTRY
• Procedures performed using soft tissue dental lasers may not require sutures (stitches).
• Certain laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia.
• Laser dentistry minimizes bleeding because the high-energy light beam aids in the clotting (coagulation) of exposed blood vessels, thus inhibiting blood loss.
• Bacterial infections are minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area being worked on.
• Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized.
• Wounds heal faster and tissues can be regenerated.
• Reduced swelling
• Less painful post-operatively
• More sterile (laser tip sterilizes itself in operation)
HOW DOES THE DENTAL LASER WORK ?
The laser emits concentrated energy in the form of a light beam. This beam vaporizes matter. The dental laser delivers a narrow pulsed beam and each pulse vaporizes only a specific number of cell layers within the circumference of the beam. This gives the dentist precise control over the laser. Before using the laser , we provide you with special protective glasses and then we may numb the area wea€?ll work on .We thensweep the gentle beam over the affected area. The narrow beam only removes a specific number of cell layers on each pass, so we have precise control over the procedure.
Lasers can be used in a wide range of procedures, including
• Crown Lengthening: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue (soft tissue laser) and bone (hard tissue laser) to expose healthier tooth structure. Referred to as crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for the placement of restorations.
• Gummy Smile: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.
• Muscle Attachment (Frenula): A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments
• Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis): Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Other Laser Dentistry Applications
• Tooth implant :Your functional and esthetic solution to missing teeth.
• Viewing Tooth and Gum Tissues: Optical Coherence Tomography is a safer way to see inside tooth and gums in real time.
• Benign Tumors: Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.
• Cold Sores: Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
• Nerve Regeneration: Photobiomodulation can be used to regenerate damaged nerves, blood vessels and scars.
• Sleep Apnea: In cases where sleep apnea is a result of a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat (which sometimes occurs with age), a laser assisted uvuloplasty or laser assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) procedure can be performed to reshape the throat and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea.
• Teeth Whitening: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used to speed up the bleaching process associated with teeth whitening.
• Desensetizing teeth: Another breakthrough is the capability to desensitize teeth which is simple and effective.