Laser Dentistry in Orlando
Lasers have been used in dentistry since 1994. There are many different applications for lasers in dentistry nowadays. The word L A S E R means Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This is Infrared radiation – Not Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation ( The one that causes bad changes in your DNA). This theory was postulated by Albert Einstein.
When lasers first used in dentistry back in the 90’s the number of dental applications were very limited. First generation lasers had many limitations and side effects. The most notable was excess heat and the possibility of causing pulpal necrosis ( killing the tooth’s nerve). Our teeth’s nerve are encased in the center of our teeth which is called the pulp chamber. The tissue surrounding the nerve chamber is hard. it is called dentin which is stronger than bone but not as strong as the outside enamel of the tooth that surrounds the dentin itself.
First generation lasers were CO2 lasers that were too hot for hard tissue (teeth and bone) but barely worked adequately with soft tissue.
Not too long after the introduction of lasers in dentistry the laser community started using diode lasers. Diode lasers are good for soft tissue applications in dentistry – Gums, and oral soft tissue. Diodes work good where there is soft tissue that is pigmented ( that has color) like pink or red gums. Diodes are limited to soft tissue and they can’t “cut” hard dental tissue like dental enamel, dentin, or broken down dentin which we called dental decay or cavities. More recently, in the last years, a more versatile laser has been available for dentists.
This laser is an Erbium/Chromium YSGG laser. It is a very specific laser for teeth. It has a great affinity for tissue with high water content. That is why it’s first iteration was called the Waterlase. Nowadays the newest of this lasers is the iPlus 2.0 made by Biolase. This iPlus laser is very versatile because it can selectively remove diseased enamel and dentin (dental decay) while leaving healthy tooth behind. It can also remove diseased soft tissue (like infected gum tissue) while selectively not killing health gum tissue around. All this is done without raising the temperature of the tissue that the laser is aimed at.
Thousands of dentists around the country have adopted this technology for several reasons. It is extremely safe, not only for the patient but also for the dentist and his or her staff.
Compared to traditional surgical instruments (like a scalpel) the lasers cause barely or no inflammation after it ablates (cuts) soft or hard dental tissue. Hence, the healing time of a surgical site in the mouth is a lot faster when an Erbium / Chromium YSGG laser is used.
This laser is extremely gentle and it has been proven over and over that when removing caries from decayed teeth most of the times dentists need not use an anesthetic to perform this procedure. That’s right, having your cavities filled without getting a shot!
So, next time you go to see your dentist please be sure to ask him or her: Do you have one of those lasers that can remove and clean my cavities without the need for a shot?
