Dental Lasers: Maximizing Dentistry Practice Productivity

The word “laser” may sound like something from science fiction. However, doctors and dentists have used lasers in medicine and dentistry for over 60 years. Doctors used the first medical laser in 1963 to treat retinal diseases.

Dentistry has changed over time. Research on lasers in dentistry started in the mid-1960s. In the 1990s, researchers created the first laser specifically for dental use.

While initially met with skepticism, lasers have become a common dentistry tool. Their common use shows a significant transformation in dental care. It moves towards less invasive procedures. These methods lower the need for painkillers and antibiotics.

This article will discuss dental lasers and how they’re transforming the dental experience. We will discuss the benefits of dental lasers for dental practices, clients, and patients. We will also cover the different types of lasers.

 

What Are Dental Lasers?

Lasers, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, produce light. They work by amplifying light through stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.

They produce highly focused, monochromatic (single color), and coherent (waves in phase) light beams. You achieve this by amplifying the light in a medium (gas, liquid, or solid) between two mirrors.

One of these mirrors reflects all light. The other mirror is partly see-through. This lets some of the amplified light leave as a laser beam.

Lasers create strong light. This light forms a focused beam that targets specific molecules in tissues. These molecules absorb the light’s energy and generate heat. Depending on the wavelength of the light, the laser can cut, coagulate, or even vaporize tissues.

Knowing that the laser beam interacts with tissues in a controlled way is important. This lets medical and dental practitioners target specific areas without harming the surrounding tissue.

Dental lasers are special tools for dental work and treatments in laser dentistry. Laser instruments differ from traditional dental tools like needles, drills, and scalpels. They are less invasive and more precise. This makes laser treatments nearly painless.

Benefits of Using Dental Lasers

Since it began, laser dentistry has aimed to provide a safer, faster, and better way to deliver dental care. It offers many benefits to both patients and dentists. Some benefits of laser dentistry include:

Reduced Bleeding and Swelling

Lasers create heat in a small area without harming nearby tissue. This makes them useful for sealing blood vessels during soft tissue procedures. For example, proteins within gum tissue cells will solidify into glutinous substances during laser treatment, resulting in cauterization.

For example, lasers can seal blood vessels and nerve endings. This happens when doctors remove infected gum tissue during gum reshaping. This minimized the risk of inflammations and infections, ultimately leading to a healthy smile.

Faster Recovery Time

In addition to coagulation, some laser wavelengths can help regenerate tissue and bone. This boosts healing and may reduce or eliminate the need for follow-up visits to the dentist.

Root canal treatments are a perfect example of this, as they often require multiple visits to the dental office. Lasers can disinfect and seal the root canal during treatment. This helps prevent infections from coming back and saves the natural tooth.

Enhanced Comfort

Even with anesthetic, dental procedures can still be uncomfortable. The vibrations and noise from traditional tools make it worse. Laser dentistry removes the vibrations, noise, and pressure from traditional tools. This makes the procedure more comfortable for both the patient and the dentist.

Laser procedures offer better comfort for patients. This improves their experience and boosts their confidence. As a result, more patients stay and refer others.

Increased Accuracy

Lasers are capable of targeting specific areas of treatment. This helps avoid any damage to surrounding tissue, ensuring optimal results.

Dental lasers are used in many surgeries. They can make precise cuts and seal tissue afterward. This includes procedures like frenectomies, dental implant placement, and biopsies.

Using lasers causes less damage to the tissue. This leads to quicker recovery times. People also use them to whiten teeth, remove decay, and repair worn-out tooth fillings.

Different Types of Dental Lasers

Dentistry focuses on treating and repairing different types of tissues. These include hard tissues like enamel, dentin, and alveolar bone. It also includes soft tissues such as dental pulp, gums, oral mucosa, periodontal ligaments, and salivary glands.

These are different types of tissue requiring different light energy to treat. As a result, not all lasers used in dentistry are the same. Two main types of dental lasers exist: soft tissue lasers and hard tissue lasers. Hard tissue lasers can cut through tooth structures.

Dental Diode Lasers

Dental Diode lasers produce light in the wavelength range of 810 to 980 nanometers. This makes them good for soft tissue procedures. These procedures include periodontal treatments, frenectomy, soft tissue scalping, teeth bleaching, gum disease, and cold sore treatment.

Their homeostatic properties make them perfect for gum tissue procedures, but their use extends beyond just gum treatment. These lasers are small and reasonably priced. This makes them a great choice for dentists.

Carbon Dioxide Lasers

Carbon dioxide lasers emit light at wavelengths of 2,780 or 2,940 nanometers. Unlike small and cheap diode lasers, they are large and expensive. On top of that, they can cause hard tissue damage.

They are great for tasks that need quick removal of soft tissues. This is often their main use. They provide exact cutting and cause minimal thermal damage to nearby and targeted tissues. Doctors also use them for lesion removal, frenectomy, and gingivectomy.

Erbium Lasers

Erbium lasers can be used on soft and hard tissues depending on their type. Dentists often use them in dental procedures such as cavity preparation, RTC, and soft tissue treatments. Two main types of erbium lasers exist. They classify the crystals based on the type used for light amplification.

• Er:YAG is short for yttrium aluminum garnet laser. It works at a wavelength of 2940nm.

This laser has a high water absorption rate. This makes it exceptionally effective for hard tissue applications. It offers shallow ablation with little heat damage to nearby tissues. This makes it useful for preparing cavities, bone surgery, and removing decay.

• Er,CR:YSGG lasers use a wavelength of 2790 nanometers. They have about one-third the water absorption of Er: YAG lasers.

This makes them less aggressive. As a result, they allow for deeper thermal penetration into hard tooth structures. Surgeons use them for hard and soft tissue procedures and some surgical applications.

In the end, both options are very effective. However, the choice depends on the dental procedure and the desired result.

ND:YAG Laser

Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet laser emits light within the wavelength range of 1064 nanometers. Doctors commonly use it in soft tissue procedures, such as treating periodontal disease, tissue coagulation, and certain cosmetic procedures. Their deeper tissue penetration also makes them suitable for certain surgical procedures.

How Laser Technology Is Transforming the Dental Experience

Lasers have been used in dentistry since the 1990s to treat several dental and oral health issues. However, despite their approval by the Food and Drug Administration, no laser system has received the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance as an alternative to more traditional treatment methods.

One major benefit of laser dentistry is that it is minimally invasive. This improves patient comfort and experience. As a result, it leads to better retention and higher referral rates.

Dental professionals are now using lasers to make procedures better. Lasers help reduce healing time and improve patient comfort.

Many dental procedures that previously required several visits can now occur in one visit. Accuracy, quickness, and comfort make patients feel positive about their time in the dental chair. They leave feeling good about their experience and their oral health journey.

However, it’s important to remember that laser technology has many benefits. Still, it is not likely to fully replace traditional tools. These tools include dental drills, needles, and scalpels.

Lasers are useful tools in dentistry. They work well for many dental procedures. However, there are still times when traditional tools are better or needed.

Laser technology keeps getting better. It may even replace older treatment methods as it improves and becomes easier to access.

Final Thoughts

While lasers aren’t going to replace traditional dentistry tools anytime soon, they are the future of dental care. By using dental lasers, dental professionals can change their practice for the better. They can improve their reputation and grow their business by getting more referrals.