Dental Laser Instead of a Drill for Teeth Treatment
March 7th, 2008
The CO2 dental laser can be used to perform surgical procedures within the oral cavity such as frenulectomy, gingivectomy, removal of small tumors of the mucosa and of other lesions, for example, leukoplakias, and for modeling the neck in order to take impressions. These can all be performed during an office visit and with practically no bleeding.
Using a Dental Laser Instead of a Drill
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved laser use in dental hard tissues (teeth) for treatment of cavities. Different types of lasers had been used in dental applications since the early 1990’s for soft tissues (gums). Dental lasers have not been widely used because of their high cost and limited applications.
A common type of laser used for dental treatment of cavities is the erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet. The technology allows tiny layers of the tooth to be removed quietly and usually without discomfort. An injection is rarely needed. Lasers can be used for the treatment of small to medium sized dental cavities in adults, and has also recently been approved for children.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of dental procedures cannot be treated with the laser. Dental lasers can not remove old, broken and worn-out fillings, have difficulty removing soft dental decay (present in deep cavities), can not prepare dental crowns (caps), inlays, onlays, porcelain veneers or in root canal. In short, roughly 90-95% of all dental treatment cannot be treated with today’s dental lasers.
Dental lasers are not the dental panacea that has been presented in the media. They do, however, offer useful applications that may be helpful to some dental patients. I personally take a cautious approach to new dental technologies, especially if they are attempting to replace tried and true methods. Some researchers question whether dental lasers will generate excessive heat that can damage the dental pulp. Dental lasers for preparation of cavities is a very new and potentially promising technology that will need several years of research and improvements before I will feel confident using one on my patients.
What Dental Lasers are and How they Work
The laser consists of an active medium and a pumping source enclosed in an optical cavity. The pumping source pumps the active medium (The LASER medium itself) from its ground state (zero, inactive state) to an excited state.
“Population Inversion” occurs when the two sources are mixed together and photons are given off thereby producing the “LASER” activity. This activity is resonated or reflected back and forth within an optical resonator and amplified. A portion of this activity is then emitted as a LASER beam. Beam splitters or mirrors are used to capture the particular portion of the LASER beam that is needed to perform the surgical operation.
The main properties of the beam are:
- Monochromacity (The beam has a narrow wavelength)
- High Degree of Collimation (there is very little divergence of the beam as it travels away from the source) This allows the beam to be focused to very small spots (Unlike a conventional light bulb that emits the beam in many many directions).
- Coherence All of the photons that have been given off when the population inversion occurred are “In Phase” both in space and time… The active medium of a laser can be either a gas, solid or liquid.
Why a Dental Laser?
Innovative dental laser technology can help provide improved high quality dental patient care and comfort, increased patient throughput, a growing patient base through referrals and the high tech image of an innovator all of which add up to practice and revenue growth.
The addition of a laser to your practice has the following benefits:
- Higher quality work
- Clear operative fields, precise incision and excision
- Procedures can be done more quickly, with less chair time, so you can treat more patients and generate more revenue
- Laser procedures provide a significant reduction in bleeding, swelling, cross-infection and use of antibiotics, adding significantly to recovery comfort
- Greater patient comfort and less pain lead to better patient satisfaction and more referrals, increasing your patient base
- Laser dentistry provides new opportunities and procedures for your practice, and you can perform many procedures you might otherwise refer out
Is Laser Dentistry and Dental Laser Safe, Proven Technology?
Yes. Lasers have been used in medical surgeries for over 20 years and in dental surgery since the early 1980′’s. CO2 lasers have now become the preferred instrument for many dental procedures. We are well acquainted with the laser and have had extensive and thorough training in its use.
How Much Does Dental Laser Treatment Costs?
For the most part, laser surgery is generally not any more expensive than conventional surgery. Since the laser allows the surgery to go quickly, we are able to absorb the cost of the laser by scheduling shorter appointments. In cases where there is an additional cost for laser surgery it is possible to bill both the medical and dental insurance for reimbursement.
Benefits of Laser Dentistry and Dental Laser Treatment
Dental laser procedures are more efficient and more comfortable than many conventional methods of dental treatment. Dental laser surgery, for example, produces minimal swelling and scarring compared to conventional methods, and frequently reduces the length of surgery and post-operative healing.
Dental laser treatment is generally less painful and, therefore, reduce the necessity of anesthesia. In addition, because the laser is a non-contact instrument, it does not create the noise and vibration associated with dental drills.
Categories: Teeth
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