Lasers seem to be finding their way into almost all aspects of everyday life. This seems to be especially true when it comes to the world of dentistry. Our doctors use lasers to treat gum disease and other soft tissue concerns. As technology continues to improve, hard tissue lasers may be included to accompany our current soft tissue lasers.
What Is Laser Dentistry?
Kenson use the diode laser in combination with traditional practices to improve their treatment of periodontitis (gum disease) and other soft tissue work. The diode laser has a wavelength suited for soft tissue procedures because it is absorbable by water and hemoglobin (the oxygenating protein in blood). This gives the diode laser the ability to precisely cut, coagulate, ablate, or vaporize targeted soft tissue.
Candidates For Laser Dentistry Treatments
If you’re having issues with your gums, whether it involves gum disease or you simply want to address a gummy smile, we believe anyone is a great candidate for our soft tissue laser methods. The advantages of the laser, from its disinfecting qualities to less bleeding and pain, should be available to everyone. There really isn’t a downside when compared with traditional root planing, scaling, and gum recontouring techniques.
Benefits Of Laser Dentistry
Here are some of the benefits of using lasers for soft tissue work:
- Procedures often don’t require sutures, as the laser energy instantly closes the incision.
- Certain procedures don’t require anesthesia.
- Minimizes bleeding; the laser energy instantly closes blood vessels.
- The laser instantly sterilizes the treatment area.
- Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized.
- Wounds heal faster.
- Tissue regenerates more efficiently
Laser Dentistry can also be used to numb baby teeth for fillings and no injection is needed!
Is Laser Dentistry Safe?
Since 1990 lasers have been used in dentistry. Lasers are used as a safe treatment for many dental procedures and can be used with other dental instruments.
Are There Any Side Effects Or Risks With The Use Of Dental Lasers?
Lasers have been used for soft tissue treatments since 1994, and the FDA has approved their use for the dental procedures we use them for at Golden Dental Solutions. There are very few risks with these treatments because our dental professionals all have extensive training with our diode lasers.
Some risks are actually lower with a laser than with traditional methods. For instance, gum contouring incisions can be much finer and more precise. Also, conventional tools always have the potential of causing unwanted scrapes or cuts of nearby tissue. Traditional tools need to be sterilized after every use to control the possibility of infection; this is not a problem with laser energy, where the tissue is instantly sterilized.
There are always risks with just about any medical procedure, but our patients love our laser dentistry at Golden Dental Solutions, and we look forward to expanding our uses.
What Dental Issues Is Laser Dentistry Used For?
Diode lasers are used for two gum treatments:
Periodontal Disease
Our doctors use lasers for a variety of areas in the treatment of gum disease: root planing and scaling, the removal of bacteria and infected tissue from periodontal pockets, surgical reshaping of the gums to reduce the size and depth of periodontal pockets, and to enhance reattachment of the gums to the tooth root.
When cleaning periodontal pockets, the laser vaporizes infected tissue, disinfecting the area and activating tissue re-growth at the same time. The laser energy penetrates the soft tissue while instantly sealing blood vessels and nerve endings. This benefit makes for much less — if any — postoperative pain with some of these treatments. It also encourages faster healing than traditional methods.
Gum Recontouring
Our doctors use lasers to address gummy smiles, to create a more symmetrical gum line, and to prepare the gum line when putting a crown on a tooth.
Do I Need To Do Anything To Prepare For A Laser Dentistry Procedure?
There isn’t any special preparation required on your part.
How Is Laser Dentistry Performed?
At Golden Dental Solutions, Dr. Kenson, and Qi all use lasers for certain soft tissue procedures. As technology advances, we will include hard tissue uses. When using a laser, we target the laser’s intense beam of light energy onto the gum tissue we are looking to treat. The light energy painlessly cuts or vaporizes the soft tissue on contact.
For gum contouring, this changes the length of the gum tissue covering the patient’s teeth.
The laser energy also instantly closes the incision without the need for sutures. This is a big plus for our patients.
For the cleaning of periodontal pockets with gum disease, the laser energy vaporizes the infected gum tissue that would otherwise need to be surgically excised. At the same time, it disinfects the pocket and it triggers the body to begin building new, healthy gum tissue.
For these procedures, the laser is incredibly easy to control and use.
What Is Recovery Like After Laser Dentistry Treatments?
The power of lasers can make some patients believe they must also be painful. The opposite is actually true. Because the laser wavelengths are absorbable by water and hemoglobin, the laser energy can instantly vaporize infected gum tissue without the need for a scalpel. And because the energy instantly coagulates the blood vessels and seals nerve endings, there is dramatically less pain and usually the incisions don’t require sutures.
When we use soft tissue lasers our patients experience almost no pain after these treatments. There are no incisions that need to heal — the laser energy instant closes the incision — and this makes for a faster, simple recovery.
What Our Patients Have To Say
"All of the staff here is amazing, they are so nice from the front desk to the doctors they really care about there patients. Like most people, I am so afraid of the dentist. I came for a cleaning and had to have some work done. They were able to fit me and get the work done same day pain-free! Thank you, guys!"
"Most comfortable I’ve ever felt in a dentist office! Everyone was so knowledgeable and attentive! Thanks!"
How Much Does Laser Dentistry Cost?
There isn’t a set cost for the use of diode lasers to treat various soft tissue concerns at Golden Dental Solutions. As with most treatments, costs can vary based on the individual’s unique situation. We use laser technology where it improves our overall care level, not simply to say we use laser dentistry. Because the laser energy immediately closes the blood vessels when we are working on soft tissue concerns, such as gum contouring, lasers actually make the procedure simpler and possibly less expensive than having to use scalpel and sutures. Lasers also lower the risk for infection, as the laser energy sterilizes the area, which can also make a simpler, less expensive procedure. Lasers can add cost to some procedures, but if your recovery is faster and without much discomfort most patients feel the difference is worth it.
Is Laser Dentistry Covered By My Dental Insurance?
Insurance companies cover procedures not methods. So, if you’re having a gummy smile addressed, the insurance company would choose to cover that procedure or not (possibly deeming it elective). The method used — whether scalpel or laser — is not part of their consideration. Generally, insurance reimbursement is a set amount based on the procedure.
Schedule A Consultation
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kenson if you are interested in our Laser Dentistry treatments, please call (303) 277-9600 today! My Golden Dentist is proud to serve Golden, CO and the surrounding areas.