Laser dentistry improves patient experience during select dental procedures. Dentists use lasers to detect cavities that would otherwise evade detection by visual exam. They use hard tissue lasers to remove fillings or to prepare a tooth for a dental restoration. In each of these scenarios, laser devices make dental procedures minimally invasive, with little discomfort or bleeding.
Nowhere are the benefits of laser devices more evident than in deep cleaning. Dive into the benefits of laser deep cleaning by reading the sections that follow.
Traditional deep cleaning vs Deep cleaning with laser dentistry
Dentists recommend regular dental checkups, which should happen once every six months for patients with healthy teeth. During such checkups the dentist checks for cavities and other dental problems. They proceed to treat any problems they find.
If the patient gets the all-clear, they get regular teeth cleaning. This procedure involves the use of a scaling tool to remove plaque and tartar from the visible parts of the teeth. Patients with excellent oral habits might not need this step. The dentist will proceed to brush the teeth with a special abrasive toothpaste. They will conclude the cleaning with flossing and fluoride treatment.
It is worth noting that a regular dental check could uncover moderate gum disease. In this scenario, the dentist would recommend a deep clean, which involves removing plaque and tartar in the parts of the teeth that sit under the gumline.
Deep cleaning with dental laser devices
The dental jargon for deep cleaning is SCP, or Scaling and Root Planing. The conventional process requires a scaling tool to manually dislodge tartar from the tooth roots. The sound of the scaling device can intimidate even the bravest of patients, let alone one that has a phobia of the dentist’s office. After scaling comes root planing. This is the part of the procedure where the dentist smooths the surface of the tooth roots to eliminate nooks where bacteria and food debris could hide.
Traditional scaling and root planing is a fairly invasive procedure that sometimes requires the retraction of gum tissue. Thankfully, laser dentistry offers a gentler, less invasive approach to the removal of plaque, tartar and infection. The procedure involves the following steps:
- First the dentist administers anesthetic to numb the teeth and gums
- Then the dentist rinses out the mouth and installs dams to isolate sections of the gums
- The dentist now uses a laser tool with a miniscule tip to access each gum pocket
- Dental laser tools usually have different settings. They often allow the dentist to adjust wavelengths in order to target hard or soft tissue
- The dentist begins the cleaning process by targeting pockets of infection, as well as damaged gum tissue
- They use a different wavelength setting to loosen plaque and tartar on the tooth roots
- Next they will rinse out the gum pocket and proceed to use a different tool to gently scrape remaining debris from the tooth roots
- Finally, the dentist will rinse out the gum pocket again, before applying a gentle pulse from the laser. The laser serves to seal the gum pocket
Energy from the laser has several benefits. First it kills off infection while dislodging dead or infected tissue. Laser dentistry also minimizes bleeding and makes for a conservative alternative to gum flap surgery. Better still, laser dentistry reduces recovery time by triggering tissue regeneration. The fact that the treatment removes the need for cutting and stitching only adds to a quick recovery.
Treating gum disease with deep cleaning is easier thanks to laser dentistry
Reach our practice and talk to one of our helpful staff about laser dentistry. Our dentist is on hand to work with you as you take steps to improve all aspects of your oral health.
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