You may have seen a story circulating on social media about self-healing teeth. Researchers found that dental lasers could be used to stimulate the growth of stem cells within teeth, and then form new dentin. This regeneration could mean less of a need for restorative dental work, and much less time with the dental drill. And when there’s a potential for going drill-free, people get excited.
Today, dentistry is still dependent upon the drill. The dental tool remains an important part of certain procedures. At the same time, we’re always working to find new ways to care for our patients. And because so much dental anxiety is linked to the sight, sound, and feel of the drill, it’s not always an ideal part of the comfort equation.
Dental lasers not only represent a potential future for patient-friendly dentistry, they also offer some present-day aid. At Summit Dental, we offer laser treatment to help you love your dental care. The happier you are with your time in the dental chair, the happier we are as your providers.
Read on for a discussion of laser dentistry’s present and future.
The Future of Dentistry – And Lasers’ Role in The Field
Dentistry is moving away from physical tools and toward the use of light energy. Drills, picks, and scalpels may be able to accomplish some tasks, but there’s room left for a little more finesse.
Your teeth and gums are so delicate, and they benefit from incredibly gentle treatment. Laser beams are narrow, precise, and offer some additional healing properties (by closing wounds and minimizing bleeding). In general, lasers are the least invasive, most comfortable way to receive more involved treatment.
Today, lasers are available for assistance with hard tissue procedures, soft tissue procedures, periodontal treatment, teeth whitening, and disease detection. Once you’ve experienced treatment with a dental laser, you’ll view dentistry in an entirely new way – and you won’t want to go back to the old means of treatment.
Laser Dentistry at Our Oakland Practice
Summit Dental Care offers laser treatment to patients seeking a different kind of care. We make soft tissue procedures more comfortable with the Odyssey Diode laser. If there’s a possibility for us to apply our laser to your next appointment, we will let you know. And if you’d like to learn more about which procedures allow for laser involvement, just get in touch.
How Lasers Transform Your Time in the Dental Chair
Countless patients struggle with dental anxiety. It’s an incredibly common problem, and the only way to resolve it is to change the way the patient feels in the office. This often means overwriting past negative memories with new, positive ones.
Where do dental lasers come in? They’re the missing link between patient comfort and effective treatment. Because of the way lasers work, they alter teeth and gums without the same level of friction. They make anesthesia less necessary, eliminating the length of time you’re numb after treatment. And laser offer fewer side effects (like micro fractures) than dental drills.
Patients who have had uncomfortable past experiences at the dentist’s are scared to return. This leads to missed preventive exams, and cavities / gum disease having a chance to take told. Ultimately, the patient requires more involved treatment to fix the problems, and continues to feel anxious about dentistry.
Lasers help us break this vicious cycle. And if you’re someone who has had problems with seeking treatment in the past, we’d love to talk to you about the potential for laser treatment. Simply get in touch to learn more. It’s time to seize your dental future.