Integrating Advanced Care: Laser Technology in Dentistry at Schaefer Dental Group
They are inside your laptop computer and your DVD player, present on the factory floor and the supermarket checkout line. And now, lasers are finding increasing use in dentistry. Someday soon, you may have a routine dental procedure performed with the aid of a powerful, yet highly controllable beam of laser light, instead of a drill or a probe. Schaefer Dental Group uses this advanced tool to improve detection and treatment for our patients in Lansing, Michigan.
What are dentists currently using lasers for? These devices have been proven to help in the detection and treatment of oral diseases. They can be used for treating gum disease, detecting cancer, and pinpointing tooth decay in its early stages. They can precisely remove tissue, seal painful ulcerations like canker sores, and even treat small cavities. In the future, dental laser technology will undoubtedly find even more applications.
How Do Lasers Work?
Lasers work by stimulating atoms to produce a beam of coherent light. Essentially, this means they emit light that has a great deal of energy, yet can be precisely controlled. It’s the combination of high energy and precision that makes lasers so useful in dental applications.
Where Are Lasers Being Used in Dentistry?
At present, the use of lasers in dentistry falls into three general categories: disease detection, soft tissue treatments, and hard tissue treatments.
1. Disease Detection (Diagnosis)
Lasers can aid in diagnosis in many ways:
- Laser light of a specific wavelength can detect tiny pits and fissures in the biting surfaces of the tooth that a traditional dental tool can’t find, allowing for careful monitoring of small defects.
- Lasers can help locate dental calculus (tartar) beneath the surface of the gums.
- They can aid in the detection of oral cancer in its early stages, accurately showing where healthy tissue ends and diseased tissue begins.
2. Soft Tissue Treatments (Gums and Sores)
For the treatment of soft tissue problems, lasers offer many advantages as minimally invasive tools:
- Used in gum surgery, lasers can treat gum disease by killing harmful bacteria deep in pockets below the gum line and removing diseased tissue without harming healthy tissue.
- The procedure generally results in less bleeding and pain because the laser seals off adjacent blood vessels.
- Lasers are also effective in treating ulcers and sores on the lips or gums.
3. Hard Tissue Treatments (Cavities)
Lasers are finding increasing use for hard-tissue procedures, like the treatment of dental caries and cavities. They offer dual benefits:
- They are more exact in the amount of material they remove.
- They eliminate the noise and vibration of the dental drill, which is uncomfortable for some patients.
As lasers become more common in the dental office, these high-tech tools will be integrated into routine dental practice, offering real benefits and finding increased use in the near future.