Besides preserving your oral health, one of the main goals of modern dentistry is to make dental procedures as comfortable as possible. With the introduction of dental sedation and dental anesthetics in the 19th and 20th centuries, dental procedures became more comfortable than ever before. Still, there is always room for improvement.
In 1989, the first dental lasers were introduced as a tool used by dentists to provide patients with the best that modern dentistry had to offer. Recently, more and more dentists have begun to implement the use of dental lasers in their dental practices. However, patients who have never undergone dental treatment with a laser may be skeptical at first. Nevertheless, treatment with dental lasers has many benefits. Here are five reasons to try laser dentistry at your next dental appointment:
1- Eases Dental Anxiety
Unfortunately, dental anxiety is a very real problem that has a number of causes. One common cause is fear of the dental drill and its accompanying sounds. While dental drills are essential in many dental treatments, they are very loud and cause a vibrating sensation. Dental lasers, on the other hand, are much quieter and do not produce the same type of vibration. Furthermore, there are certain treatments, such as treating cavities, that can use a dental laser in place of a dental drill. For many patients, this allows them to finally relax in the dentist’s chair.
2- Gentle Dentistry
Dental procedures performed with dental lasers are also more comfortable overall. This is due to the way the laser works. Dental lasers emit a strong beam of light that simultaneously removes or reshapes tissue, as well as sealing the wound and nerve endings. By sealing the nerve endings at the same time the tissue is altered, painful sensations are dramatically reduced. This allows for a more gentle dental treatment that often does not require the use of anesthetics or sedation.
3- Minimal Bleeding
An unfortunate part of dental treatments that affect the soft tissues is bleeding. Since blood is another source of anxiety for many, dental lasers offer an alternative with less bleeding. As mentioned before, dental lasers use a strong beam of light to perform multiple functions all at one time. One of these functions is to seal the wound. By sealing the wound, dental lasers cause the blood to clot almost instantly, which significantly limits the amount of bleeding that occurs.
4- Easier Recovery
Recovering after a treatment performed with a dental laser is often easier and faster. This is because their is less pain and bleeding during treatment, so there is also less pain and little to no bleeding after treatment. Additionally, the wound cauterization process that clots the blood acts as a catalyst for the body’s natural healing response. This way, healing begins as soon as the treatment is over and recovery is shorter.
5- Decreased Chance of Complications
Dental lasers possess a precision unlike any other dental tool. Their light beam is both focused and concentrated on a specific area. This minimizes the chances of causing trauma to the surrounding structures. In addition to limiting bleeding, the laser beam also sterilizes the tissue during treatment, which reduces the chance of infection. All these factors combined decrease the overall risk of post-treatment complications.
By easing dental anxiety, providing gentle dentistry, minimizing bleeding, making recovery easier, and decreasing the chance of complications, laser dentistry is quickly setting itself apart from other types of dental techniques. Although dental technology will continue to develop, laser dentistry is definitely the dentistry of the future. For more information about laser dentistry, see Solea Dental Laser.