If you’re already a patient at Wayside Dental in Harpenden there’s a good chance you already know we’re devotees of Laser Dentistry. Dr Robin Horton, our principal, has been successfully using dental lasers for over 20 years, is a fellow of the Academy of Laser Dentistry and lectures all over the world on laser use in dentistry. It’s safe to say we offer a wealth of experience in the field of Laser Dentistry so we’re in great position to offer advice and answer all your questions on the subject. For some, the mere mention of a laser conjures up Sean Connery in Goldfinger, so, for anyone with anxiety about lasers in a dental practice, here’s a Q&A on all things laser-like in the dental world. The headlines are; it’s safe, comfortable and can be used in a number of dental treatments and on our patient-satisfaction surveys, comes highly recommended.
LASER is an acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation. Essentially, lasers manipulate light energy to produce a powerful, concentrated beam. This beam induces a reaction when it reaches tissue.Different types of dental lasers have different ways of creating light energy and theselasers have different uses. At Wayside we have two types of laser, both from Biolase-diode lasers for soft tissue and for therapeutic use, and Waterlase lasers for hard and soft tissue use.
We use lasers in place of our traditional dental instruments. So, lasers can be used in place of a drill when doing fillings and as a scalpel when performing gum surgery or placing dental implants. The light energy kills bacteria so they can be used in gum cleaning and root canal treatments and are helpful in reducing the risk of infection in dental implant placement and in treating peri-implantitis. They are also used to stimulate healing and bone regeneration and this is known as photobiomodulation. Indeed, laser therapy of this type is approved by NICE as a therapeutic treatment to prevent mucositis (a very painful and debilitating mouth condition) in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Laser dentistry is a minimally invasive treatment option we use at Wayside Dental in Harpenden to perform a variety of dental procedures. Examples include:
• Cavities, especially for children
• Crown lengthening
• Gum surgery
• Gum contouring
• Deep cleaning
• Fibroma removal
• Dental Implants
• Frenectomies
• Surgical tooth extraction
Lasers are also used as an adjunct in many of our treatments such as root canal treatments and to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation.
There are so many advantages to laser dentistry that we would now not work without them. These can include:
• Reduced need for anaesthesia
• Reduced risk of bacterial infections as lasers sterlise
• No or reduced need for stitches
• Minimal bleeding as lasers cauterise soft tissue
• Reduced inflammation and therefore faster healing times
• Bone regeneration in cases of severe gum disease which has lead to bone loss
• Less damage to surrounding tissue as they are extremely precise so leave healthy tissue untouched
• Reduced anxiety and increased comfort- may of our patients who have had surgery with Robin report no or minimal discomfort after the procedure.
We are passionate about lasers so please call or email if you want to know more. You can also find information on our website and can contact us for an appointment.
