Dental laser therapy

The multiple applications of laser in medicine have made it possible to improve surgical techniques and the postoperative period of patients. These advances have occurred mainly in and. In the dental area, laser applications have yielded more limited results than in other medical areas.

How does it work?

The mechanism of action of the laser, both in medicine and in dentistry, consists of cutting by thermal ablation, that is, by heat. The degree of the cut will depend on the type of laser used. Basically what happens is that the cells of the tissue to be cut absorb a large amount of heat (thermal energy) causing what is technically called spalliation.

Laser types

Two types of lasers are usually used in dentistry:

• The diode laser: for soft tissues, especially the gums and mucosa.
• The erbium laser: used for both soft and hard tissues (teeth).

Real applications in dentistry

Many commercial houses attribute an infinite number of applications to the laser, many of which are doubtful or occur rarely.

The real dental laser applications where you get very good results are:

• In periodontal surgeries.
• In all soft tissue (gums and mucosa).
• To avoid and sterilize bleeding, reducing the risk of infection.
• To reduce post-treatment discomfort as it favors the healing process and, in many cases, you can even do without anesthesia.

On the other hand, in the removal of lacking tissue from the teeth, it only achieves adequate results in cavities or small restorations. In deep cavities, the usual techniques offer better results.

Conventional techniques

Dentists have yet to get rid of conventional methods to give quality treatments. However, everything indicates that they will do so in an increasingly near future. There are many advances and improvements that are taking place in this regard and that will allow to minimize, even more, the discomfort in the dental chair.