You’ve heard of laser hair removal and laser eye surgery, but are you aware of the benefits of laser dentistry as well?
Laser dentistry has advanced significantly over the last decade to offer sophisticated, cutting edge dental treatments. Whether you need a root canal, teeth whitening, or anything in between, laser dentistry offers optimal results without the side effects of traditional procedures.
Here’s everything you need to know to take advantage of laser dentistry for your own dental health and wellbeing.
Laser dentistry makes it possible to perform a wide range of dental procedures with more precision and less pain. This practice has been approved by the FDA for more than 20 years, and the laser machines created for dental purposes continue to become more advanced and effective.
During a laser treatment, your dentist uses a laser system that delivers concentrated light energy to the exact part of your mouth being treated. When the laser’s light energy comes in contact with your gums, it either cuts or vaporizes the tissue as needed. On the other hand, when the laser’s light energy is applied to your teeth, it acts as a heat source.
Dental lasers achieve beautiful, precise results without causing any of the trauma, pain, or bleeding seen with the use of more traditional dental techniques.
The unique benefits achieved through laser dentistry are exciting for patients and dentists alike. When you visit your San Diego dentist for laser dentistry treatment, you can expect to enjoy these perks:
With so many benefits, it’s easy to see why more and more patients are choosing laser dentistry over traditional treatment methods. If you need any of the following four dental procedures, ask your San Diego dentist about the possibility of laser treatment to optimize your results and give you the best experience possible.
Most patients aren’t aware of a treatment called laser frenectomy until they find themselves in need of the service. This essential dental procedure is most commonly used on young children born with a lip tie or tongue tip that prevents normal lip and tongue movements.
A tongue-tie, known as ankyloglossia, is caused by a very short frenulum, the tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Infants and children with tongue-tie can’t move their tongue fully, leading to many challenges:
A lip tie is similar in nature; the upper lip remains attached to the upper gum, rather than separating. This also leads to challenges from the time of birth, including:
If your infant shows signs of lip tie or tongue tie, like weight loss, irritability, lip blisters, gastrointestinal distress, and frequent feedings, a frenectomy may be necessary to treat the problem and prevent future complications.
A traditional frenectomy is performed using sterile scissors and sutures, but this can cause bleeding, scarring, and trauma for young babies. A laser frenectomy treatment offers a safe, painless solution.
Laser frenectomy treats the oral tissue called frenulum that connects the lips to the gum and the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Using safe laser technology, your dentist can loosen or remove the frenulums causing your child’s tongue tie or lip tie. Precise laser technology carefully pinpoints the area of treatment and gently adjusts the frenulum without altering or harming any surrounding tissue.
In fact, this type of laser treatment is so fast and efficient that it only takes a few minutes and doesn’t require any incisions or stitches. It’s painless for your baby as well, with no bleeding or other side effects to cause discomfort.
Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic treatment that dentists perform. In most cases, dentists apply a whitening solution formulated with hydrogen peroxide to the teeth. Over the course of a few days or weeks, the peroxide solution removes stains causing discoloration.
Laser dentistry now makes it possible to accelerate the whitening process. It does this by helping the hydrogen peroxide lift stains out of the enamel. Thanks to the precision of dental lasers, it’s even possible to use laser teeth whitening to treat one tooth more or less than another tooth. This is helpful for patients needing customized whitening care due to inconsistent discoloration or stubborn stains.
Many people with dental anxiety fear the noises and sensations associated with the dentist’s office, including drills, picks, and needles. Laser dentistry eliminates the need for those unpleasant factors and makes dental treatments easier than ever before.
For example, your dentist can use a laser to remove tooth decay and prepare the surrounding enamel for a filling. This drill-less system is faster, safer, and more efficient. It even reduces the amount of pain and bleeding you experience, so anesthesia may not be necessary.
Nearly 50% of all adults in the United States have gum disease, making laser gum disease treatment more important than ever before.
Laser technology precisely targets diseased gum tissue to remove harmful bacteria while leaving healthy tissue intact. Unlike other dental tools, lasers can target the underlying source of inflammation in the gums without harming or removing healthy tissue. This makes it possible to slow or stop attachment loss. It also gives your mouth the opportunity to recover from chronic infection.
Since all of this is achieved without the use of sutures, scalpels, and drills, you can achieve optimal oral health. All without any fear, anxiety, or discomfort!
The team at RB Dental Excellence in San Diego, California is proud to offer cutting edge laser dentistry treatments to patients of all ages. Call our office today to learn more and schedule your consultation. With the power of laser technology at our fingertips, there’s nothing we can’t do for your smile!
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