There are hundreds of use cases for lasers, but one of the most important is in healthcare.
In dentistry, lasers are becoming much more common, and as the technology improves, they are used for more and more dental treatments. Currently, there are over 20 different dental treatments which lasers are used. We’ll explain just a few of them;
Tooth Whitening
Lasers have been welcomed by many who want whiter teeth fast. When laser light is shined onto teeth that have been coated with a hydrogen peroxide gel, the light activates the gel. The hydrogen peroxide is broken down, and the oxygen that has been released penetrates the outer enamel layer of teeth and bleaches the discolored areas away.
Because the laser activates the gel, the procedure can often be finished much more quickly than without activation. This means a faster appointment for you, and because the gel is in contact with the teeth for less time, tooth sensitivity becomes less likely.
Gum Surgery
Gum surgery can be a good solution for several oral health problems. Perhaps you have beautiful teeth, but too much gum tissue shows on the front of your teeth. We can sculpt the gums with lasers to reveal your most attractive smile. Or perhaps diseased gum tissue or some kinds of mouth sores need to be removed with surgery. Whatever the cause, laser surgery has become a more comfortable option for many procedures.
Because Laser Gum Surgery only removes a few cell layers at a time, it is precise and doesn’t disturb nearby tissues. Unlike a knife, lasers vaporize tissue rather than tearing it. At the same time, the laser cauterizes the area, reducing bleeding and swelling. These factors lead to faster healing. And most important, we are able to treat many patients without anesthesia because the laser light produces its own numbing effect on the tissues.
Periodontal Disease Treatment
Periodontal Disease is an infection of the teeth, gums, and bone that surrounds the teeth. As the disease progresses, pockets form in the crevices between the gums and teeth. These pockets become reservoirs of bacteria and their waste products, and one of the tasks in treating Periodontal Disease is removing this bacteria. With Dental lasers, dental professionals can remove diseased and infected tissue and decontaminate the area of bacteria.
Cavity Detection
The widespread use of fluoride, combined with better oral hygiene, has changed the nature of tooth decay. Since fluoride makes the tooth enamel stronger, it’s harder for decay to start, and if it does start and become a cavity, it will most likely be much smaller than before the days of fluoride. Now, decay can create an almost invisible hole in the tooth’s surface, and then spread into the softer inner layers of the tooth.
Fluoride has been good for the teeth, but it has also made it much harder for us to find decay using just the traditional x-rays and a dental explorer. Fortunately, laser technology has kept up with these changes. One example of this is a hand-held instrument that emits a laser from the tip. We rock the tip back and forth on the surface of your tooth, and the laser scans the interior of the tooth. Because decayed tooth structure reacts differently to the laser light than healthy tooth structure does, the instrument can find any decay under the surface of the tooth.
Restoring Teeth
Once decay is found, lasers can be used to remove the decay and prepare the tooth for a filling. As on gum tissues, using lasers on hard tissue like teeth is much more comfortable than using the traditional dental handpiece. The laser simply vaporizes the decay, leaving nearby healthy tooth structure intact. The laser doesn’t whine like the handpiece, and it creates no vibration. And like gum tissues, the need for anesthesia is greatly reduced.
After decay has been removed and the tooth prepared, the cavity may be filled with a natural-looking composite resin filling, which is hardened with laser light to a durable finish.
Implants and laser dentistry
If we compare the use of lasers to the traditional surgical approach, lasers clearly are the better choice. Using a laser to perform implant surgery allows dentist to prepare the implant site with minimal trauma, including hard and soft tissue.
With a laser, Dentist can target the tissue to be removed. It will not disrupt or damage the surrounding tissue. The removal of both soft and hard tissue is precise and minimally effected. It is difficult to achieve the same results with a scalpel blade.
For More Information
Dentart Implant & Aesthetic Dentistry Clinic in Istanbul Turkey is using different types of lasers in dentistry for different procedures including laser supported implant surgery.
