Laser dentistry: A Better Way to Treat Cavities
Laser dentistry is an excellent option for addressing cavities, especially if you always experience dental anxiety. It eliminates the need for drills, anesthetics, and pain that some people or children sometimes associate with traditional dental appliances. There is also minor swelling to deal with when you opt for laser dentistry.
Laser dentistry is not just meant for treating cavities. It can also treat other dental problems, from gum diseases to canker sores. In addition, it is often a great option for kids who do not want to get the numbing shot and people who feel anxious when they see needles. Some of the dental issues that can be addressed at our laser dentistry in Jackson include:
- Gum disease. Lasers are used to remove bacteria, reduce inflammation and reshape the gums.
- Root canals
- Biopsies or lesion removal. Lasers may be used to remove a small tissue called a biopsy to examine it for cancer. It can also remove lesions in the mouth and alleviate pain from cancer sores.
- Removing throat tissues that can lead to sleep apnea
- Eliminating benign tumors
- Teeth Whitening. Lasers help to speed up in-office teeth whitening in Jackson procedures. A peroxide bleaching solution applied on the tooth surface is activated by using laser energy. This speeds up the whitening process.
How Does Laser Dentistry Work?
Lasers zap your child’s cavities with an invisible light beam and are very precise and conservative, allowing a dental filling to be placed in the affected area. This is the most excellent and precise way of fixing your child’s cavity, thus means that your dentist near you does not have to remove as much of your child’s healthy teeth as they do while using a dental drill.
Water-based laser systems such as WaterLase keep the tooth hydrated throughout the procedure to alleviate your pain further. Instead of needles and drills, laser dentistry uses water, light, and air to treat cavities. That’s why the procedure is fast and less painful, making lots of patients love it so much.
If your child coincidentally happens to have a math test on the same day of the appointment, laser treatment can have them ready to go back after the treatment and at least take the test.
Is Laser Dentistry Safe for Kids?
Yes, laser treatment is a safe and effective way of treating cavities in adults and kids. It can also be used in soft tissue treatments, such as swollen gums from braces or the exposure of wisdom teeth. Another important benefit of lasers is that treatment on soft tissues does not require sutures.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Laser Dentistry
Laser dentistry has its pros and cons. Some of its advantages as compared to traditional dental drill include:
- It causes less pain in some instances, thus reducing the need for local anesthesia use.
- It minimizes swelling and bleeding during the removal of soft tissues
- It can also preserve more healthy teeth while removing the cavities
- Laser dentistry reduces anxiety in patients who are uncomfortable with the use of dental drill or anesthesia
The drawbacks of laser dentistry are that:
- Lasers cannot be sues together with commonly performed dental procedures. For instance, it cannot be used to fill cavities that are located in between teeth, around dental fillings, and large cavities that need to be treated using dental crowns. Also, lasers cannot remove silver fillings or defective crowns or prepare teeth for dental bridges.
- Lasers cannot also be used if you have dental fillings already in your teeth.
- Lasers are relatively more expensive as compared to the use of dental drill
- Lasers do not necessarily eliminate the use of anesthesia
- Tradition dental drills may still need to be used to adjust the bite, shape the filling, and polish the filling even when the laser is used.
What Risks Are Associated with Laser Dentistry?
The risks of laser treatment are minimal. However, your dentist must be qualified since using the wrong power level or wavelength can damage your tissues.
Your dentist may also need to use some special glasses to protect their eyes from the laser during the procedure.
If you are want to treat your cavities using laser dentistry near you, Arbor Falls Dental and Wellness is the right place for you and your child.