LASERS

Laser (light amplification by stimulated emission radiation) dentistry is a precise and effective way to perform many dental procedures. The potential for laser dentistry to improve dental procedures rests in the dentist’s ability to control power output and the duration of exposure on the tissue (whether gum or tooth structure), allowing for treatment of a highly specific area of focus without damaging surrounding tissues. Hence it should be performed by a dentist holding a degree in laser dentistry. DR RAJAT DANG is the first and only dentist in tricity to have done his Masters in Laser Dentistry from Vienna, Austria.
If you consider yourself somewhat of an anxious dental patient and are seeking extreme safety and comfort, then you have come to the right place.
Imagine a laser ray performing a surgery without painful pricks of anaesthesia, no bleeding, no pain, no stitches, quick healing?
Yesit’strue. Laser acts as a cutting instruments or a vaporiser of the tissue it comes in contact with.No anaesthesia required,no shots given for a surgery in most of the cases makes lasers a popular choice for the patients who always feared dental surgery. It’s a technology to provide patients with precision treatment that may minimize pain and recovery time
We boast of having all the three kinds of Lasers which are routinely used in the field of dentistry making the treatment very comfortable for all our patients.
Soft Tissue Lasers: Soft tissue lasers boast a wavelength that is highly absorbable by water and hemoglobin (oxygenating protein in red blood cells), making them more effective for soft tissue management.
Soft Tissue Lasers: Soft tissue lasers boast a wavelength that is highly absorbable by water and hemoglobin (oxygenating protein in red blood cells), making them more effective for soft tissue management.
Soft tissue lasers penetrate soft tissue while sealing blood vessels and nerve endings. This is the primary reason why many people experience virtually no postoperative pain following the use of a laser. Also, soft tissue lasers allow tissues to heal faster.
Benefits of Laser Dentistry?
• A treat for the kids and adults: children will no longer fear coming to a dentist and go back with happy hearts because treatment with the lasers is absolutely stress free.
• Minimal or no anaesthesia
• Minimal or no bleeding
• No pain
• No stitches
• Minimal post operative swelling
• No post operative infection
• Faster healing
• More sterilization environment as lasers kills the bacteria in the work field
• Hi-tech unique dental experience

Soft Tissue (Gum) Laser Dentistry Procedures
Crown Lengthening: Crown Lengthening is performed around teeth that are broken below the gum line and now need to be restored with either a crown or a filling restoration. To be able to see the tooth structure hidden below this gum line in order to provide a stronger foundation for the placement of crown or filling,a surgery needs to be performed. Previously this procedure was done with a scalpel blade and required 6-8 weeks of healing before crown preparation can be done or a filling be placed, making it a multiple visit procedure. However with laser, crown preparation as well a filling can be done immediately after the crown lengthening procedure. The whole procedure takes about half an hour in single sitting visit.
Laser periodontal therapy: Diode laser significantly enhances treatment success rates and shorten recovery times by improving fibroblast attachment and through their stron bactericidal effects. This joint action treats and prevents infection and promotes reduction in pocket depths, and reduces bad breath and bleeding gums.
Root Canal Disinfection: Laser employs thermal effects to destroy bacteria deep in the root canal. Laser helps in reducing treatment times and improves success rates. Conventional chemicals and techniques can only eliminate bacteria in the dentinal tubules to a depth of 100µm whereas the fotona laser can disinfect upto 1000 µm much deeper than any other traditional method.
Frenectomies and tongue ties: Many a times patients have their lips and tongue tied too tight by the frenum(ligament that attaches lip and tongue to the jaw bone).Usually there is a noticeable gap between the upper front teeth because of this high frenal attachment. Patients with the tongue tied to the floor of the mouth find it difficult to speak. Babies find it difficult to suckle. Lasers are a very effective method to cure lip and tongue ties. Patients start speaking fluently after the surgery,no dietary restrictions.
Gummy Smile: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile
Gum Depigmentation: Laser is exclusively used to remove the dark melanin pigmentation around the teeth (gums), so that the patient can even have a brighter smile.
Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis): Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Teeth Whitening: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used to speed up the bleaching process associated with teeth whitening.
Viewing Tooth and Gum Tissues: Optical Coherence Tomography is a safer way to see inside tooth and gums in real time.
Benign Tumors: Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.
Cold Sores: Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
Nerve Regeneration: Photobiomodulation can be used to regenerate damaged nerves, blood vessels and scars.
Sleep Apnea: In cases where sleep apnea is a result of a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat (which sometimes occurs with age), a laser assisted uvuloplasty or laser assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) procedure can be performed to reshape the throat and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea.
Temporomandibular Joint Treatment: Dental lasers may be used to quickly reduce pain and inflammation of the temporomandibular jaw.
Oral Diseases: treatable conditions include herpetic lesions, aphthous ulcers, lichen planus, leukoplakia and various hyperkeratotic growths
Lasers represent an innovative and more precise technology for specific soft tissue applications. With the use of lasers you will feel more comfortable and less anxious during your treatments.
LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY
Laser dentistry has come up like a boon for the treatment of gum diseases like pyorrhea. Previously traditional gum surgery was performed which involved the use of local anesthesia injections, cutting the gums with scalpels and blades, cleaning the infected gums, and suturing it back in place. This involved lot of bleeding, pain and discomfort to the patient. A periodontal pack is given over the area where surgery was performed for next 7 days, and removal of sutures done after 7 days. This made surgery a traumatizing experience for the patient.
However with laser periodontal therapy, a beam of lasers goes between teeth and gums and burns off the infections without any need of giving injections, no cuts, no sutures, no post operative discomfort.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY (LPT):-

Q1. Is LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY a painless procedure?
Answer is yes. FDA has approved lasers as a non surgical approach to treat gum diseases. Lasers eliminates the need for the shots hence no pain even from the prick of the injections, forget about the pain from the procedure. It clogs the nerve endings therefore there is no pain during the procedure. There is no bleeding at the site of procedure as the lasers coagulate the blood vessels. There is no post operative swelling.

Q2. How effective is LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY?
Answer: Laser emits concentrated energy in form of beam of light which burns the infected gum tissue, targeting only the infected area, thus making lasers a highly specific treatment modality. LPT is a 2 visit procedure in which in every sitting a full mouth professional cleaning called scaling is done followed by laser therapy and the gums become totally infections free. Studies show that 98% of patients who underwent LPT show no progress of disease in next 5 years if maintained properly, as compared to only 5% of patients who opted for traditional periodontal surgery.

Q3. Why should I opt for LPT over traditional gum surgery?
1) LPT requires less time and fewer follow up visits as compared to traditional gum surgery as there is no cut in the gums given, hence no sutures given.
2) LPT only targets the unhealthy infected tissue hence there is more preservation of the healthy gum tissue. However this is not seen in case of traditional gum therapy
3) LPT is a bloodless procedure and less invasive
4) LPT is more sterilized as no incision is required, reduces the risk of infection.
5) The gum tissue healing is very quick with LPT. Within less than 48 hours the results start showing. However with traditional gum therapy it takes around 3 weeks.
6) LPT is a success in patients who cannot opt for traditional gum surgery because they are medically compromised like in diabetes, in high blood pressure or if a patient is on anti coagulants. With lasers there is no bleeding hence there is no fear of excessive blood loss and poor healing.
7) Patients can get back to work almost immediately after the procedure as there is no post operative swelling or discomfort. This brings in a great value for the patients time and money
8) There is no restriction in diet or brushing, no interruption of daily schedule, where as in case of traditional periodontal therapy a periodontal pack is given for 7 days, restricting diet and brushing in that area. Patients have to be extra cautious of the sutures given but with LPT life remains easy.

Q4. What all procedures can be performed with lasers?
Answer: With soft tissue lasers many other gum procedures like gum de pigmentation, gum reshaping, crown lengthening, correcting the gummy smile, removal of fibroid gum growths can be performed. Last but not the least it is also used for bleaching (whitening of teeth).