What is Laser Dentistry and Why is it Changing the Way Traditional Dentistry is Practiced?

Jeffrey P. Cranska, DDS

Dentistry is a medical science. A dentist who graduates from a dental school and has appropriate licensing practices it. Dentists are concerned with the prevention and care of the teeth and surrounding soft tissues and oral diseases.

Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Dental lasers are a family of these medical devices. Some lasers are used for surgery, some to cure dental materials and enhance tooth whitening, and some to remove tooth structure for disease elimination and restoration. Different lasers are used for different dental procedures.

Lasers work by generating a precise beam of concentrated light energy. Laser light is more efficient than conventional light sources. This intense, narrow, concentrated beam of light is composed of a single wavelength. Each laser (wavelength) has characteristics permitting it to produce optimum results for specific applications. Not all lasers are the same. Optimal energy is delivered using a minimal power output. Light is delivered through a fiberoptic delivery system. Certain wavelengths make them particularly effective for use in the oral cavity. Lasers are used to perform a variety of hard and soft tissue procedures, including cutting, curing and whitening.

Lasers are not new to dentistry; they have been in use for over ten years. Some dental lasers are similar or identical in design to those used over twenty-five years in operating rooms of hospitals. There are over 11,000 lasers in use in dental practices worldwide.

Dental lasers are safe in the hands of qualified trained dentists. As with any dental device, the dentist must have appropriate training, with demonstrated proficiency, knowledge and skill for the use of lasers in dentistry. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved different hard and soft laser dentistry applications, including use on adults and children. Safety measures during laser usage always include the use of protective eyewear. Lasers can minimize the risks of other tissue damage because of precise control on power output, time and spot size. It can selectively remove diseased tissue without removing healthy tissue.

Lasers provide many benefits to the patient. Pain is either eliminated or reduced as a result of the way the laser can be precisely directed for treatment. The area may be anesthetized as needed for patient comfort. The laser kills bacteria in the mouth, eliminates bleeding through coagulation, while swelling is controlled. Lasers promote fast healing which minimizes discomfort associated with the healing processes, typically less intense and of shorter duration than conventional surgery, there is also a reduced number of post-treatment infections. No scalpels, no sutures and no packing are needed, which can mean less fear for periodontal disease treatment. There is less time in the chair. The patient can experience less fear, anxiety and stress, lasers don't make whining sounds or other annoying noises. Minimal pain, inconvenience and discomfort make these treatment alternatives attractive.

Laser procedures for the treatment of periodontal disease offer alternative treatments that are less traumatic than conventional flap surgery with scalpel incisions and sutures and conserve healthy tissue. Light energy from the laser is directed through a tiny fiber that removes diseased tissue and aids in reducing bacteria associated with the disease. When the area is thoroughly cleaned, the body can heal naturally.

The laser's use in periodontal therapy, oral surgery, tooth preparation or whitening allows for comparable end results to conventional therapies. Successful results in dentistry are possible using many different means, laser dentistry is just one of these.

The laser's use in dentistry will continue to increase as dentists continually strive to provide better patient care. More patient friendly treatment procedures will become available, with the patient able to take advantage of this exciting developing technology.