What Is Laser Dentistry?

Dr. Bidabadi believes in staying at the forefront of emerging dental technology for her procedural options, but, more importantly, for her patients. Here are some of the benefits of our use of laser dentistry:

• Soft tissue work, such as gum contouring or addressing gum disease, often doesn’t require sutures.
• Certain procedures don’t require anesthesia.
• Patients unnerved by the sound of a dental drill can relax.
• Lasers instantly sterilize the treatment areas.
• Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized.
• Wounds heal faster.
• Tissue regenerates more efficiently.
• Procedures can be done more quickly.

Where Can Lasers Be Used At Soft-Touch?

Dr. Bidabadi continues to expand her use of Biolase lasers. Here are some areas she has incorporated this technology:

• Periodontal disease — When cleaning periodontal pockets, the laser vaporizes infected tissue, disinfecting the area and triggering tissue re-growth at the same time. As the laser energy penetrates the gum tissue, it instantly seals blood vessels and nerve endings. This dramatically reduces post-procedure pain, and encourages faster healing. Here’s where we use the laser for periodontal disease:

• Root planing and scaling
• Removal of bacteria and infected tissue from periodontal pockets
• Surgical reshaping of the gums to reduce periodontal pockets
• To enhance reattachment of the gums back to the tooth root

• Gum contouring — Lasers are excellent for addressing gummy smiles, creating a more symmetrical gumline, and for preparing the gumline when readying a tooth for a crown.

• Other soft tissue uses — From exposing unerupted permanent teeth in children to freeing the tongue in a frenectomy, from removing tissue from partially exposed wisdom teeth to treating canker sores and other lesions, we keep expanding our soft-tissue laser uses.

• Hard tissue uses — We use our lasers to remove tooth decay without needing to drill. We also use the laser to prepare the surrounding enamel for the composite resin filling of the cavity. Lasers are very effective for excavating deep pits and fissures in the molars prior to filling them with sealants. Laser energy effectively etches the tooth enamel, making it a better surface when bonding or applying sealants.

What Types Of Lasers Does Soft-Touch Have?

We have invested in Biolase lasers, both the Waterlase Express, and the Epic 10.

Waterlase Express — This is an all-tissue laser, giving us the widest range of possible applications. The Waterlase system uses a combination of laser energy, air, and water spray. Since human teeth are partially made of water, when the laser energy contacts the tooth it excites the water molecules to cut through the tooth. This makes hard-tissue work such as the removal of decay a drill-free experience. Plus, it dramatically reduces the need for anesthetic.

Epic 10 — The Epic 10 is one of the world’s most widely used diode lasers specifically for soft-tissue use. It provides three distinct treatment modes: surgery, pain relief, and teeth whitening.

Are Dental Lasers Painful?

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.