Laser Dentistry Near Me

LASER DENTISTRY NEAR ME

Laser dentistry is a type of treatment used to cure different dental issues using concentrated light beams. It has been used for several treatments and offers a much more comfortable treatment for procedures that may otherwise use tools like dental drills.

As you know, lasers generate light energy in a very focused and narrow beam. This light leads to a reaction when it comes in contact with tissue, and dentists can use that to either remove or reshape the tissue. With that in mind, we can use laser dental procedures in several scenarios, which include:

• Teeth whitening
• Gum disease treatment
• Tooth decay treatment
• Hypersensitivity treatment

Laser procedures can make dental treatments more comfortable, cost-effective, and efficient. Additionally, they are also approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a viable treatment for several dental conditions.

How Are Laser Treatments Performed?

Laser treatments often deal with both hard tissue and soft tissue, and each of them involves the use of two different types of lasers. Hard tissue procedures refer to the teeth, while soft tissue lasers refer to the gums, and as you can imagine, the difference between the two is that of intensity.

Hard tissue procedures include:

•  Tooth sensitivity treatment: this is a treatment for teeth with high sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures where dental lasers seal tubules in the tooth’s root.
• Dental fillings and tooth preparations: as part of tooth preparations and dental filling procedures, dental lasers can kill bacteria in a cavity and improve the oral health of the patient. So, traditional dental drills and local anesthesia are also unnecessary during each of those treatments.
• Cavity detection: dental lasers can also detect and effectively remove the early incidence of cavities due to their high precision.

Soft tissue procedures include:

• Soft tissue folds removal: dental lasers are also great at removing soft tissue folds from dentures without sutures and pain.
• Frenula treatment: some patients have tight or restricted frenula (the muscle or fold of skin beneath the tongue), and they can benefit from laser treatment due to its high accuracy and precision. This also applies to children whose tight frenula causes them issues like speech impediment, difficulty in breastfeeding, or being tongue-tied.
• Crown lengthening: laser treatment can reshape gums and jawbones as well for crown lengthening, and they can do so in the least invasive manner for a healthier tooth structure.
• Gummy smile treatment: patients who need to reshape gum tissue that causes a gummy smile can also benefit from dental lasers. A Gummy smile is when the gum tissues cover too much of the tooth.

Some other laser procedures that you can get include:

• Teeth whitening.
• Cold sores treatment
• Nerve regeneration.
• TMJ (temporomandibular joint) treatment.
• Sleep apnea treatment
• Benign tumors removal.
• Viewing tissues.

Using laser procedures for these dental treatments is generally less expensive than going the traditional route. In fact, laser procedures are far less expensive because they are usually completed in fewer sessions. However, it is essential that you consult with your dentist or a dental professional near you and ask specific questions about laser treatments to see if you are eligible for them beforehand.

Benefits of Using Laser Procedures

• They cause less damage to the surrounding gum tissues.
• They are associated with shorter healing times as they cause wounds to heal quickly by promoting faster tissue regeneration.
• Dental laser also sterilizes the area that it is used on, thereby reducing the chances of bacterial infection.
• They do not require giving anesthesia to the patient in most cases.
• They also promote blood clotting, and that means less bleeding in all treatments when compared to traditional treatment methods.
• Laser procedures, especially soft tissue lasers, decrease the need for sutures.

Shortcomings of Laser Procedures

• Laser procedures cannot be used to prepare the teeth for dental bridges or remove dental fillings and crowns.
• Some dental procedures simply cannot be carried out with dental lasers. These include cavity fillings, preparing large cavities for a dental crown, and more.
• Sometimes, drills may still be needed to complete some filling procedures, such as polishing the filling, adjusting the bite, shaping the filling, etc.
• Some dental laser treatments would still require anesthesia due to the pain being caused in the affected area.
• In some cases, hard tissue lasers may injure the tooth pulp, especially if done by an unqualified dentist.
• Laser procedures cannot be used on teeth that already have dental fillings.

Dental Treatments That Laser Procedures Can Be Used For

Dental lasers are mainly used for gum-related dental treatments. Some of these include:

• Removing benign oral tumors.
• Regenerating damaged nerves.
• Removing throat tissue that causes sleep apnea.
• Gum reshaping.
• Removing gum inflammation.
• Treating gum disease.
• Treating root canal infections.
• Canker sore and cold sore pain treatments.
• Exposing wisdom teeth.

What Happens During Laser Procedures?

First of all, ensure that you consult a professional dentist who has experience using lasers for dental treatments. When you visit a clinic for laser dentistry in Houston, don’t be surprised to see that the process is not different from the traditional option. You would be given anesthesia, if necessary, but this will be a much smaller dose as compared to what you would get in traditional dental treatments. If you are someone who experiences a lot of anxiety, then you might be given a sedative to help calm you down.

You will not feel any discomfort or vibrations from the laser light during the laser procedure like you usually feel with tools like dental drills. Furthermore, any bleeding that occurs will quickly be wiped away by the dentist. Finally, your mouth will stay open for as long as the dentist works on it with the laser light to treat your teeth or gum tissues.

What to Expect After Laser Procedures?

After getting laser dentistry near me, you should expect your post-surgery experience to be relatively smooth. Since laser procedures cause less bleeding than traditional dental treatments, you can expect less pain and inflammation. Additionally, you will not have any open or bleeding wounds when you get home that you otherwise would if you were to go through any traditional dental procedure.

It is also worth noting that you’re less likely to contract an infection after laser procedures. However, you must follow the normal oral care and cleaning instructions given by your dentist. Finally, post-laser surgery usually causes minor irritation only, so you shouldn’t experience too much discomfort, pain, and inflammation like you would in traditional dental treatments.

Laser Dentistry Houston is an affordable and convenient solution to several dental problems. Be sure to ask your dental professional about laser dentistry and if it is the right treatment option for you.