Lasers have made an astounding entrance in general dentistry, and it’s safe to say lasers are here to stay. It quickly rose as an ideal dental treatment that our ancestors wished they had. Now, with laser dentistry, you don’t have to sit through lengthy dental procedures only to “feel” your mouth drooping due to anesthesia later on. Yes, that’s right, some treatments have become painless, quick, and comfortable. Hence, it’s time we dedicate an article on how dentists use laser therapy to treat cavities and gum diseases.
The Different Types of Lasers:
A laser is a concentrated beam of electrons that carries energy. However, not all lasers are created the same…. they vary in their wavelengths. This is important because the power of a laser depends upon the wavelength used. Consequently, by changing the wavelength, a dentist can skillfully manage the laser beam’s energy.
Apart from the laser’s wavelength and energy, its affinity to particular tissue matters a lot too. In easy words, some lasers “like” hard tissue (thus named hard laser) while others prefer soft tissues (hence the name soft laser). As a result, hard tissue lasers interact the best with hard tissue such as bone and teeth, while soft lasers work the best with gums and other tissues.
Using Laser To Treat Cavities:
Cavities occur in your tooth, and the tooth is a hard tissue, so which laser will a dentist use? Correct, a hard tissue laser. Once the dentist points the laser at cavities, the laser annihilates the cavities. After exterminating the pests, the dentist proceeds to fill the teeth with a filling, and with that, your cavities are no more. However, no matter how awesome the treatment may sound, laser treatment to treat cavities has some restrictions. For example, a dentist can’t use laser therapy to treat a tooth with fillings. Furthermore, laser dentistry is most effective for straightforward and low spread cavities. This is mainly because hard lasers can harm gums and the tooth’s pulp, so a dentist has to think a million times before targeting a tricky region.
Using Laser For Gum Diseases:
A dentist can cut through tartar easily using a laser. Thus, no need to use dental instruments for scaling (the process of scraping out tartar that can be messy). Furthermore, using a soft laser, a dentist can vaporize some regions of gums. Consequently, opening up spots for extended cleaning of the roots and the bone.
A Few Limitations:
If laser therapy is so awesome, then why doesn’t every dentist have such a setup? The reason lies in high investment in terms of capital and extensive training before being able to use laser therapy. Moreover, as discussed earlier, the application of lasers in dentistry is relatively narrow, and a dentist has to rely on conventional treatment methods. Hence, laser therapy works best in conjunction with traditional treatments. Nonetheless, laser dentistry is an exciting prospect indicating that dentistry is going in the right direction.
However, do you know the first step towards best oral health? Regular Checkups! Hence, don’t delay a visit to Brenham Family Dental, and you can call us at 979-421-9685 for more inquiries.