What Is Laser Dentistry?

If you suffer from dental anxiety you may want to seek out a dentist who practices laser dentistry. The use of dental lasers can help make procedures less scary, more comfortable, safe, and fast. There are many common and rather uncommon dental procedures that lasers can be used to perform.  Dentists who practice laser dentistry can provide a wide variety of procedures to their patients. There is hard-tissue laser dentistry and there is soft-tissue laser dentistry. In today’s blog, your  Encinitas, CA, periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania discusses laser dentistry procedures.

Soft-Tissue Lasers

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and is a high-energy beam of light that can be focused down to a pinpoint as small as a single wavelength.

Benefits

Lasers can be precisely controlled by trained practitioners and are beneficial in the following ways:

• Can be patient friendly
• Can stimulate the regeneration of damaged nerves
• Can stimulate the regeneration of blood vessels
• Sterilizes as it works
• Stimulates clotting of blood
• Minimizes bleeding

Uses

There are various uses for soft-tissue lasers including detecting decay in its earliest stages, reshaping gingival tissue, other gum tissue treatments, healing cold sores, and removing benign tumors in the oral cavity. Soft tissue dental lasers are often used during professional dental cleanings, and to “speed up” tooth whitening procedures. They can also be used to make tooth whitening more effective.

Hard-Tissue Lasers

Hard-tissue lasers are high intensity and sometimes can be used in place of a turbine dental drill to prepare teeth for fillings. If the cavity is not too close to the nerve they may be used for local anesthetic injections. Like soft-tissue lasers, hard-tissue lasers also sterilize the area being worked on. Hard-tissue lasers can also be used to seal open dentin tubules to help eliminate hot/cold tooth sensitivity.

About Your Encinitas Periodontist

Dental lasers can also be used to treat periodontitis and regenerate bone that has been lost due to infection.  To learn how to keep your smile healthy and beautiful so you can enjoy the benefits it offers, subscribe to this blog, and visit Dr. Kania for a consultation. As a board-certified periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania is specially qualified to diagnose and treat issues concerning periodontal tissue and the supportive structures of a patient’s smile, as well as place dental implants to restore teeth lost to dental disease or trauma. To seek Dr. Kania’s expertise, visit our office or contact us today at (760) 642-0711.