Laser Dentistry
People always ask me, “What the heck is a laser anyway?” Well, the acronym LASER actually stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This is just a fancy way of saying that it emits an “energy” that absorbs certain wavelengths of color. The two colors that my specific type of laser absorbs is the “relative” color of red irritated tissue or pigmentation and the color of blood.
Since my laser absorbs these specific colors, it allows me to treat these red, irritated, or bleeding areas without any damage to surrounding healthy tissue. It really is literally like a “magnet” for the bad stuff.
The actual laser looks like a fishing line coming out of a little handle (above.) Its so simple and VERY SAFE. I just run the laser tip over the effected area and depending on what setting I have the laser set, I can disinfect (kill bacteria AND viruses), cut tissue and cauterize while I cut (NO BLEEDING!!), and I can sculpt tissue to pinpoint accuracy. The following are just a few of the dental procedures I do DAILY in my dental practice:
-TREATING PERIODONTAL DISEASE (most important!)
– Esthetic Contouring of the Gums
-Treatment of Cold Sores, Herpetic Lesions and Burns
-Frenectomy, Biopsy, and Removal of small lesions or growths
-Removal of Unwanted Oral Pigmentations or Discolorations
-Disinfecting abscesses
– Disinfect ANY Infection or Ulceration in the mouth
-Stopping Bleeding & Cauterizing Blood Vessels
-Help in crown and bridge
-Implant exposure
I emphasize that the purchase of my laser was honestly the BEST THING I’ve ever done for the patients in my practice. (I’ve actually bought a second one, want to buy a third, and have had all of my hygienists laser certified!!.). Not only has it opened my practice up to many new procedures and techniques, but it has allowed me to become much more PRECISE and CLEAN in the procedures that I already perform.
Laser Dentistry for Periodontal Patients:
One of the most important uses of the laser is the treatment of periodontal disease. Patients with “deep periodontal pockets” that don’t resolve with the traditional “deep cleaning” are often referred to a periodontist for “Periodontal Surgery”. This is an expensive and painful procedure involving a surgical incision, peeling back gum tissue, cleaning the teeth, and suturing tissue to a lower level, thus, closing the pocket.
Laser therapy offers a less invasive and less costly alternative. Instead of cutting and suturing, the laser tip is inserted into the pocket causing a photo thermal reaction. This effect is a healing modality which disinfects the pocket while removing diseased tissue. The remaining healthy tissue is then able to reattach to the root surface, thus, closing the periodontal pocket. There is no difficult surgical recovery with this method (in fact, anesthetic is sometimes not needed for the procedure itself) and can be done at a fraction of the cost of periodontal surgery.
“The Purchase of my Diode Laser is one of the best things I’ve done for the patients in my practice…” – Dr. Ryan
