Lasers in dentistry, Lasers have been in Dentistry for approximately four to five decades. The prominent use of lasers in Dentistry has become the mainstream for a few years. The use of this technology does involve special knowledge and skill. Beyond the knowledge, is also a huge investment in the Laser device. These could be the most probable reasons, why, its not so common to all practices.
I have been fortunate to have completed my Masters in Laser education in 2013 and since then, Erbium and Diode Lasers are my daily tools. Yes, it does make the entire difference.
Lasers have made routine dentistry of fillings very comfortable to the child.
There is certainly no numbing involved as laser does not come in direct contact with the tooth. Laser is a light and water that splashes on the tooth, and removes the decay.
Since numbing is not the criteria, its easy to work on multiple teeth in different sides of the mouth without having to worry about traumatic lip bites later.
When it comes to root canal treatments, lasers have been a boon. It’s a real sense of accomplishment when we are able to perform a root canal treatment without having to numb the child for the next three to four hours. It’s a slow approach, but, it keeps a child’s cooperation levels high up. Since the medium of absorption of lasers is within the tooth, this takes care of laser scattering and damage to surrounding areas. This is often the concern from parents as they tend to relate lasers with sci-fi light that travels everywhere!!
Erbium lasers sterilize the tooth base and remove the debris layer very well that helps to create a strong bond between tooth and filling material. Both Erbium and Diode lasers are able to sterilize the root canal walls in there own unique mechanisms and this helps to achieve success with infected baby teeth, like those that have long standing swellings/ abscess. Without the use of lasers, such teeth are generally subjected to extraction followed by spacers.
Of course, its always ideal to keep the baby tooth as the natural spacer until its time of exfoliation.
