What is Laser Dentistry?

In our practice we provide Laser dentistry is the use of lasers to treat a number of different dental conditions and has been used in dental practices for procedures for many decades.  We embrace this approach because laser dentistry potentially offers a more comfortable treatment option for a number of dental procedures involving hard or soft tissue compared to drills and other non-laser tools.

The term LASER stands for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.” The instrument creates light energy in a very narrow and focused beam. This laser light produces a reaction when it hits tissue, allowing it to remove or shape the tissue.

We use Laser Therapy for many different procedures including:

• Treating Tooth Decay
• Treating Gum Disease
• Root Canals
• Pain Treatment for TMJ/TMD patients
• Airway Dentistry Patients
• Sleep Apnea Treatment

Why We Use It

Our providers use a variety of laser assisted therapies for hard and soft tissue treatments which can be used for improved cavity detection, better preparation for dental fillings and reducing tooth sensitivity.   Our dentists use several types of lasers in our practices to be able to deliver a more precise treatment that is more comfortable, quicker, and provides more stunning results!  

Key Laser Dentistry Treatments We Perform

There are two different types of laser dentistry that we perform: hard tissue and soft tissue. Hard tissue includes treatments such as cavity detection, dental fillings, and tooth sensitivity improvements. Soft tissue treatments include gum reshaping, gum surgery, and muscle attachment improvements and other procedures can include benign oral tumors and regenerating nerves.

Other procedures include removing benign oral tumors, regenerating nerves, overcoming obstructive sleep apnea, whitening teeth, and treating TMJ/TMD disorders.

Laser Therapy for TMD/TMJ Disorder Treatments

We use laser therapy for people that present with TMD/TMJ disorders.  Laser therapy takes action on the inflammatory process and on the pain symptoms associated with it. It acts on edema and contracture/pain in a very short time, which provides fast pain relief to the patient, while the suffering tissue metabolism is restored.

Laser Therapy for Acute Pain Treatment and Long-Lasting Results

Thanks to Laser Therapy Devices, our patients can quickly overcome TMJ/TMD pain with long-lasting results, helping to live a better quality of life, returning to normal activities of everyday life such as work, sports, and social life in a short time post treatment. 

Key Benefits of Laser Dentistry Therapy

• Many laser treatments do not require anesthesia, and the recovery time is much quicker than with traditional treatment methods.
• Treatments are more comfortable.
• There is less potential chance of bacterial infection because laser treatments are so precise.
• FAST TREATMENT TIMES, from 3 to 10 minutes to complete the process!
• REDUCED NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS: In many patients the benefits are evident in the first application, and scientific studies have shown that between the fourth and fifth application the pain subsides by at least 50%, with recovery of joint functions.

Laser Therapy has Broad Application

Laser therapy provides a holistic approach: the treatment is first provided to key muscle groups where the symptoms are present, and then the procedure is localized on specific trigger points. This treatment can be used for the treatment of pain and muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and arthritis pain. It promotes an increase in blood circulation and muscle relaxation for a multitude of issues, with proven benefits in the treatment of sprains, strains, traumas, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, cervical brachialgia, craniofacial pain, shoulder pain, bursitis, back pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, TMD/TMJ joint pain, oedema, hematoma, wounds, and ulcers.

In fact, Laser Therapy can be even more broadly applied not only can help a patient overcome the painful symptoms associated with TMD/TMJ but also can help with musculoskeletal diseases, providing a valuable tool for rehabilitation, as it effectively promotes the recovery of the functions that were compromised by surgery or fractures.  It promotes an increase in blood circulation and muscle relaxation with proven benefits in the treatment of sprains, strains, traumas, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, cervical brachialgia, shoulder pain, bursitis, back pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, oedema, hematoma, wounds, and ulcers.

Laser Root Canals – Fast, Effective and Minimally Invasive

We believe in the use of Laser-assisted root canal treatment because it provides our patients with advanced and minimally invasive technology for treating infected or damaged tooth roots. In this procedure, we use laser technology to remove infected tissue, sanitize the root canal, and promote healing. This approach allows for more precise removal of infected tissue, preserving more of the natural tooth structure, and providing our patients with a safer and less time-consuming root canal treatment.

How Laser Root Canal Treatment Works

With a traditional root canal treatment, the endodontist makes use of a drill to create a tiny opening in the tooth to be treated. Once this is complete, they remove the inflamed damaged pulp and then the root within the tooth is cleansed and disinfected before the little hole is filled back up again with a rubber-like solution.

The laser root canal procedure we perform very similar, with the key different being that instead of a drill, we use a laser. The laser can “boil away” the damaged pulp with far greater accuracy and speed and the tooth is left considerably cleaner. There is also often less bleeding involved – a plus for anyone because no one really likes to see blood, especially their own!  Our patients that have had a root canal in the past and then have laser treatment have commented that the pain and discomfort they experienced immediately after their dental surgery was noticeably less.

• Super Short Pulse (SSP) irrigation to clean the root canal and sub-canals; and
• Shock Wave Enhanced Emission Photo-acoustic Streaming (SWEEPS) which improves the irrigation and disinfecting effectiveness.  This provides a pair of ultra-short pulses which allows it to access and clean even the narrowest of root canals.

We like using the Fotona for this procedure because it is very easy to maneuver the laser emitting fiber tip within the pulp chamber in a unique and highly effective approach for modern endodontics and we think our patients agree!