Laser dentistry basically means the use of laser to treat different diseases of teeth and adjacent structures. It is relatively more comfortable for the patient, as it is mostly bloodless and has comparatively much lesser pain.
Laser dentistry has various applications, like:
Traditional dentistry uses drills and blades to carry out dental procedures. The tooth is drilled using a metallic device and surgery use blades/scalpels which cause bleeding.
On the other hand, laser dentistry uses a powerful laser to cut into tooth and gums. It is not painful as it doesn't have the vibration of drills which causes tooth pain and sometimes anesthesia is not necessary for surgeries as blood loss is almost absent.
Laser dentistry is effective in most of the cases and it helps in faster healing of bones as the laser sterilizes the wound area and prevents bacterial infection. It is also almost a bloodless procedure and hence patient comfort is higher. Sometimes the procedure doesn't even need anesthesia. Due to the same reason, suturing is avoided in many cases. Laser is very sharp and hence can be used in the affected area precisely without damaging the surrounding tissues, if done by a trained dentist.
Certain procedures cannot be done with laser treatment like, eg, if there is an existing filling like an amalgam in the tooth and you need to remove it before placing new material, it is not possible. After filling, if the bite needs to be corrected or if the filling material needs polishing, the traditional devices should be used as laser cannot do that function. Hard or strong lasers have a risk of injuring the pulp of the tooth.
There is also a risk of the adjacent tissues getting damaged since the laser is strong. Please note that, though laser treatment has comparatively much lesser pain, some procedures do need anesthesia.
In addition, the treatment charge for laser dentistry is higher than that for traditional dentistry.
The best part of laser surgery is that it doesn't shed blood and the wound is not open to bleed. It heals very quickly and pain is very less compared to an open wound created by as scalpel or blade as in traditional surgery. So you will not feel much pain after the surgery or most of the other procedures.
Lasers can be of two types: hard tissue laser and soft tissue lasers.
Hard tissue lasers are used to cut teeth and bone, while soft tissue laser, as the name suggests, are used to cut into the soft tissues like cheeks, gums, tongue, etc, and also to seal the blood vessels at the same time. This is the reason why bleeding is almost nil in the case of laser surgeries.
Cost of laser treatment is on the higher side compared to traditional treatment. Estimate treatment cost can be determined only after the dentist examine your teeth and gums. If you want to know about it or about your oral health, just download scanO(formerly scnaoai)app and scan your mouth. Just wait for a few minutes and our expert team will contact you to clear your doubts and give dental health advice..!
Is laser dental treatment safe? Yes. It is safe if done by a dentist who has undergone training in dental lasers.
Is laser dental treatment worth it? Yes, it is a more comfortable and almost painless procedure that you can rely on.
Is laser dental treatment good for gum diseases? Yes, it is an almost painless and bloodless procedure that will heal sooner than traditional treatment, with fewer chances of infection too.