Brushing and flossing are a major part of cavity prevention, but this is only part of what helps you maintain a healthy smile. Laser dentistry is a more modern advancement in dentistry that allows Dr. Ania and our team use diode laser energy to deep clean and remove gum tissue that has been infected with bacteria. These are all the benefits of laser dentistry, and why you should make an appointment for a laser appointment today. 

What is Laser Dentistry?

Sometimes in dentistry, lasers are used to remove or change hard and soft tissues in a number of dental procedures. In this article, we’ll discuss the type of lasers that could be used at your next dentist appointment. 

Soft Tissue Lasers

The use of soft tissue lasers uses pulsed beams of concentrated energy that allows Dr. Ania to enhance your gum health. Soft tissue lasers can treat cold sores, cavities, enhance a smile by reshaping the gums, eliminate benign tumors, whiten teeth, and more. This laser has two main functions: laser decontamination (cleaning) and therapy (vaporization of diseased tissue). Using these in dentistry can prevent bacteria from settling, which means after your bacteria removal, your gums will have a better chance to properly heal because the tissue is not as vulnerable to new bacteria settling in. 

Hard Tissue Lasers

This type is used to cut ‘hard’ tissues in the mouth, like the teeth. Colgate explains that they are primarily used to help remove tooth decay, prepare cavities for filling, prepare a tooth for a root canal and etch the enamel so a filling can bond to it. Hard tissue lasers often help reduce the need for anesthesia and the chance of overheating parts of the tooth like the pulp. However, these lasers may also extend the time needed for treatment due to the precise nature of laser cutting. 

What Can Laser Dentistry Help With? 

Lasers can assist with a number of procedures aimed at both the hard and soft tissues of the mouth.

Common soft tissue procedures include:

• Treating ‘gummy’ smiles: lasers can help reshape the gum tissue. For instance, this is for patients with a ‘gummy’ smile where the gums are long and cover much of the tooth. 
• Crown lengthening: this will help reshape both gum tissue and bone for healthier tooth structure. This will help with placing restorations on the teeth. 
• Treating tongue frenulum attachment: if you have a thick or right fold of skin under the front part of the tongue that anchors to the mouth floor (tongue frenulum) lasers can help. This often helps children whose restricted frenulum causes them to have difficulty eating and have speech issues. 
• Removing soft tissue folds: lasers can remove soft tissue folds that occur after ill-fitting dentures without pain or sutures. 

Common hard tissue procedures include:

• Cavity detection: lasers can detect cavities early by finding evidence of tooth decay. 
• Tooth preparations and dental fillings: with lasers, Dr. Ania will not have to use local anesthesia and traditional drills. Lasers can kill bacteria in a cavity, which is a benefit to the long-term health of a tooth. 
• Treating tooth sensitivity. If you have a tooth that is sensitive to hot or cold, it can be treated with a laser that seals tubules on the tooth’s root. 

Other laser procedures include: 

• Viewing tissues: allows the dentist to safely see inside a tooth or gum tissue.
• Removing benign tumors: they can help remove tumors from the palate, gums, and sides of the lips and cheeks.
• Treating obstructive sleep apnea: it can reshape the throat and relieve associated breathing problems when sleep apnea is caused by tissue overgrowth in the throat. 
• TMJ: lasers can reduce pain and inflammation in the joint. 
• Nerve regeneration: if you have damaged blood vessels, nerves, or scars, lasers can help.
• Treating cold sores: they can minimize healing time and reduce cold sore pain.
• Teeth whitening: lasers can speed up the bleaching process during a teeth-whitening procedure. 

Benefits of Laser Dentistry

The benefits of choosing laser dentistry include extreme precision, which will allow Dr. Ania to remove infected tissue without having to affect any of the surrounding gums. Further, lasers have a quick healing time due to their ability to instantaneously seal the blood vessels. They do not typically cause bleeding and patients can often return to their normal activities immediately. 

Make an Appointment with Dr. Ania 

If you’re interested in learning more about laser dentistry and how it could help you with your dental health, make an appointment with Dr. Ania today by calling us at (303)-872-9940.