Laser therapy practices are gradually becoming a reliable alternative to traditional drilling practices in dental procedures. At Lans Family Dentistry, we offer laser therapy procedures as part of our full complement of services.
When are lasers used?
Teeth Whitening – Referred to as power whitening, we place a rubber dam over your teeth to protect your gums and then paint a bleaching product onto your teeth. We then take the laser and shine it on your teeth, thus activating the whitening chemical. The power of the laser accelerates the chemical reaction which causes the color to change in usually around one hour and can last for many years.
Tooth Decay – When you are suffering from symptoms of tooth decay, it was once accepted that you would be forced to undergo painful and costly surgery to fix the issues. Lasers are a more sensitive means of targeting and treating tissue decay, often rendering the removal of tooth bits with a drill unnecessary.
Gum Disease – When applied to gum tissue, the laser removes the inflamed (or infected) area of your gums from around the root of your tooth. Once the root is exposed, we will scrape off the gunk and plaque that have accumulated below the gumline. Lasers are precise in targeting infected areas, may help you avoid anesthetics, and allow you quicker healing time. Plus, it’s less invasive and can reduce pain, swelling, and bleeding.
Biopsy – If we determine you have a suspicious area of soft tissue, lasers are a very useful tool at instantly removing lesions, which are tissue damaged through injury or disease.
Disadvantages of Lasers
Lasers are unable to be used in many garden variety dental procedures such as filling cavities between teeth and around old fillings among others. In some instances, lasers still require the use of a drill to complete operations.