Dr. Lisa Wyatt and the team at Metairie Village Dentistry, located in Metairie, Louisiana, place a high priority on your comfort. That means keeping up-to-date with the latest technology. Though lasers have long been used in other medical fields, they’re a relatively new arrival in the dental world.
Dental laser applications continue to grow, offering a wide range of advantages over traditional methods, making your dental experience even more comfortable. At our office, we use a Fotona® dental laser system to assist with fillings, root canals, crown removal, and gum disease surgery. You may be surprised at the difference over conventional techniques. Keep reading to learn more.
Dental lasers first appeared on the scene in the mid-1990s. Since then, the types of lasers and their range of uses keep growing.
Lasers deliver energy in the form of amplified light wavelengths. This energy can take the form of heat and pressure and can cut or vaporize tissue with high levels of precision. Lasers also sterilize as they work, adding additional advantages.
There’s no point in moving to new technologies if they don’t offer advantages over traditional methods. Lasers offer improvements that make the switch worthwhile. Here are four benefits you’ll enjoy with laser therapies.
Because lasers offer improved precision, you may need less or even no anesthetic for your dental procedure. They cause less disturbance of healthy tissue and don’t create friction like conventional dental drills.
The high-pitched sounds coming from conventional dental drills can cause significant anxiety. The vibrations can also be a bit unnerving. Dental lasers produce no mechanical sounds or vibrations. Your dental work proceeds quietly, without the traditional disturbances.
Traditional surgery for gum disease requires cutting into gum tissue to reach the pockets trapping bacteria below the gum line. Conventional techniques require scalpel incisions and stitching to access these pockets. Bleeding is inevitable and stitches become necessary to close the incisions. Dental lasers use heat, so they cauterize as they cut. That means far less bleeding and no stitches.
Lasers kill bacteria and other pathogens as they work. Furthermore, instant cauterization means fewer ways for infecting agents to enter your body. Together, that means a reduced risk of infection after gum disease surgery compared to conventional approaches.
While dental lasers represent an advance in treatment options, there are some cases where they’re not suitable for use. Contact Metairie Village Dentistry to find out more about laser dentistry services and if you’re a candidate. You can reach our office by phone or online. Book your appointment now.
