Downtown Dental Excellence offers Laser Dentistry in Cleveland, TX

While a lot of dentists use only traditional equipment to perform their procedures, other dentists have decided to embrace different dental tools that add to the efficiency of certain procedures. An excellent example of the use of modern, advanced tools is laser dentistry.

What Is Laser Dentistry?

Laser dentistry is the use of lasers to perform specific dental procedures. As will other lasers, laser dentistry lasers use light as a cutting instrument. While dentists will often use laser dentistry for this purpose, there are also other purposes that dentists may use laser dentistry for, by setting the laser to a lower setting.

Photo of Smile After Laser Dentistry

Downtown Dental Excellence offers Laser Dentistry in Cleveland, TX

Laser dentistry doesn’t just account for one procedure. Instead, there are a variety of different procedures in which a dentist may use a laser. Here are a few examples of procedures that may utilize laser dentistry:

Gum Contouring

A popular aspect of cosmetic dentistry is gum contouring. People that have what is called a “gummy smile” will often feel very self-conscious. A “gummy smile” is when the gums cover a large portion of the teeth. In order to reshape the gums to show more of the teeth, a gum contouring procedure may be performed with laser dentistry.

There are other procedures that involve the reshaping of the gums as well, such as crown lengthening. Much like gum contouring, crown lengthening involve reshaping the gum line to show more of the tooth or teeth. Finally, there are gum contouring procedures that focus less on lengthening, and more on the reshaping of the gum line to make it more even. Laser dentistry is an excellent choice for evening out the gum line, and making it more aesthetically pleasing.

Decay Removal

Tooth decay is extremely destructive to your teeth, and your overall oral health. Plaque can stick to a tooth, eating away at it over time. This can lead to cavities and eventually even infection of the root pulp. If tooth decay is allowed to progress for too long, you may need to have a dental veneer or crown placed, or you may even need to have a tooth extracted. Because of this, it is extremely important to remove any tooth decay from a tooth as soon as possible. Laser dentistry can be used in the removal of tooth decay, and can help the dentist to get rid of the plaque buildup that is slowly eating away at your tooth.

Periodontal Treatments

Periodontal disease can be anywhere from mildly annoying to extraordinarily destructive. The longer you allow periodontal (gum) disease to progress, the more advanced it will become. Once it gets to the final stage, you will have irreparable damage to the teeth and bones. In fact, your teeth may become loose and may even fall out once gum disease reaches the point of advanced periodontitis. In order to stop gingivitis, periodontitis and advanced periodontitis, the plaque that has built up below the gum line needs to be removed. One amazing tool that can help in the removal of the plaque that is causing periodontal disease is a dental laser. With laser dentistry, you can reverse the effects of gingivitis, and you can help to treat more advanced gum disease.

Enamel Contouring

Just like with gum, some patients don’t particularly like the way their teeth look. Due to overlap, poor symmetry or a variety of other reasons, a patient may want to have the enamel of a tooth or teeth contoured. When this is the case, certain tools need to be used during the procedure. One tool that can be helpful in the contouring of enamel is a dental laser. Laser dentistry can help the dentist to reshape the appearance of a patient’s tooth or teeth—giving them the smile that they are looking for.

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Laser Dentistry Advantages

There are many benefits to laser dentistry that can make it an excellent option for different dental procedures. Some of these advantages include:

  • The reduction of pain during a procedure.
  • A reduction in the need for anesthesia.
  • Minimal swelling and bleeding during procedures.
  • Avoiding the use of scalpels and sutures.
  • Quicker recovery time.
  • Tissue sterilization.

Laser dentistry allows dentists to work on their patient’s teeth in an effective and efficient way—often making procedures easier on both the patient and the dentist.

Laser Dentistry Disadvantages

While laser dentistry is becoming a very popular option among dentists, it is important to note that the use of lasers has not received the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval. While the ADA does see a future in laser dentistry, at this time they still do not fully approve.

There are also other disadvantages to laser dentistry that include:

  • The inability to use lasers on teeth that have silver fillings.
  • The use of a dental drill still being necessary on procedures that involve the use of a dental laser.
  • The price of laser dentistry treatment (which is often higher).
  • The inability for lasers to be used in a variety of different dental treatments.

Like with most dental procedures, laser dentistry has its positives and its negatives. Because of this, laser dentistry may not be right for all patients.

Candidates for Laser Dentistry

Whether or not your dentist chooses to utilize laser dentistry depends on a variety of factors. First, they need to determine if the procedure they are going to perform can benefit from the use of lasers. From there, they will need to discuss the option with you, and see if you are comfortable with the use of lasers. Finally, they’ll want to discuss the cost with you. Keep in mind that laser dentistry may be a more expensive choice, so you may want to go with a more traditional choice if you are on a budget.

If you are going to undergo any of the procedures listed above and you are curious about laser dentistry, speak with your dentist about whether or not you are a good candidate for laser dentistry.

Call Downtown Dental Excellence Today! (281) 592-0597

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