Laser Therapy

Laser Dentistry– The Ultimate Tool

By Jacques Doueck DDS

 

21st Century Dentistry for Adults and Kids

 

I uses the laser for adults and children. The laser makes fillings faster and more comfortable. For kids, these pleasant early experiences will carry them into their adult lives with a positive attitude towards dentistry.

 

What’s better about laser? The laser is so accurate that it can precisely clean out decay, leaving more healthy tooth structure than when using a drill. Studies have shown that up to 99 percent of children were comfortable enough with the laser that they didn’t need an injection! One of the greatest benefits is that the laser not only eliminates decay neatly and quickly – it also sterilizes the cavity, virtually eliminating the bacteria. There is less pain because as the laser cuts, it seals the nerve endings – it is kinder to the tooth than a drill.

The main reason people put off going to the dentist is fear. They fear the drill, the needle, the pain and the noise. With the laser, many of these concerns are eliminated. Without the sound and vibration of the drill, adults and children are more relaxed. You don’t hear that loud whine that the drill makes. The laser is quiet – with only a soft popping sound.

 

How does a laser work?

A laser uses a high intensity light beam and sprays water in front of it. The light hits the water molecules, creating tiny waves of acoustic energy. It is these sound waves that do the actual cutting in comfort and safety. Laser dentistry is useful even for very large cavities. Because the laser is able to sterilize virtually everything it touches, laser dentistry can ultimately prevent decay from spreading to the nerve.

 

In the past several years, amazing advances in the technologies of dentistry have created tools for the dentist – based on laser technology – that were never before available. We now use lasers to treat gum disease. Here are some of the comments we’ve received from patients immediately following laser gum treatment:

“During the gum work I felt… nothing!”

“I had regular periodontal work on the other side of my mouth – what a difference. On the laser side it feels great.”

The technology is also useful on the diagnostic front. Diagnodent is a laser that we use to find hidden cavities, and it is safe even for pregnant women.

 

Having a complete range of equipment available allows a dentist to be able to use the “right tool at the right time.” This is the real benefit to the patient. These hi-tech devices offer patients a new found sense of relaxation about their visit to the dentist, and help provide them with a more natural smile and a comfortable, more enjoyable dental experience.

 

The Dentist’s Toolbox

Beyond laser dentistry, there are a number of other hi-tech tools that have proven to be of great value when we treat adults and kids:

• The intra-oral camera  gives both the dentist and the patient an opportunity to really see inside the dark cavern called a mouth.
• Digital x-rays allow us to view x-rays under high magnification with 90 percent less radiation.
• The Wand allows us to get your tooth numb without also giving you a numb lip or tongue.
• Ozone is a powerful yet safe disinfectant which helps us treat gum disease and avoid root canal even when the cavity is so deep that it reaches the nerve.

 

 

It was 8 am Sunday morning. Barbara and her husband were waiting outside my office. Barbara had a canker sore somewhere between the size of a quarter and a half dollar. “Please, Doc,  help my wife she has a giant canker sore and she is in terrible pain”.  for smaller canker sores there are many home remedies that we can recommend but these major sores need something more. I quickly seated Barbara in the dental chair and using my dental laser I began to shine the laser light over the surface of the huge canker sore. Without ever touching the sore, Barabara was feeling relief in less than a minute. Laser treatments are the most effective way to get relief from canker sores. Although it’s not practical to treat every canker sore with a laser, for people suffering with jumbo canker sores – it is comforting to know that relief is seconds away. The Laser gives immediate pain relief and causes the ulcer to heal in 24-72 hours. Pain relief is immediate and lasting. The Laser works by sealing the raw ulcerated surface of the sore turning the sore into a Healing-Laser-surface rather than an infected ulceration. The laser has two unique properties that work together to give immediate relief and long lasting healing. First the laser kills the bacteria found in the ulcerated area. Second the healing properties of laser give the tissue a “jump start” on healing and converting the damaged tissue into healing, healthy, tissue.

ability to kill the bacteria

 

When the canker sores are not as large, Debacterol™, gives almost immediate relief and speeds healing. In a study of Debacterol there was a 70% of the patients had complete relief of pain with a single application. In the remaining 30% they received relief with additional application. What this means is that 100% of the participants in the study experienced pain relief. In a recent study by CRA, Clincial Research Associates, Debacterol received high praise. “Advantages of Debacterol

(1) Provided fact and long-lasting relief of pain. (2) Those areas that were treated with Debacterol™ healed faster than non-treated areas. (3) Debacterol™ is easy to use.

 

.Avoiding known triggers is helpful, such as using the tooth that do not contain SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate) such as Biotene and Squigle.

SLS damages the protective proteins and lipids (fats) on the surface of the fragile lining of our mouths.  This can leave the inside of the mouth much more susceptible to these problem foods and trauma.
Women are twice as likely to have reoccurring canker sores as men. Often the susceptibility to canker sores is hereditary.  People whose parents have canker sores have a 90% chance of developing them early in life

 

Numerous foods have been associated with canker sore outbreaks.  Probably the biggest offenders are chocolate, citrus fruits, and tomatoes.  Other foods that can cause canker sores include:  nuts, peanut butter, sea food, wheat and other grain products, vinegar, apples, soy, French mustard, pineapples, figs, pickles, spicy foods, and dairy products.  It’s different for everybody.  Different foods trigger canker sores in different people.
Finally there is a quick and easy way to treat canker sores that really works.

So if you know someone with a really painful canker sore tell them to ask their dentist for a canker sore treatment that works immediately!

DiagnoDent: Laser Cavity Diagnosis

By Jacques Doueck DDS

 

DIAGNOdent is the revolutionary new way to find even the smallest areas of tooth decay. By using this new technology, dentists are able to target and treat all of your small problem areas before they turn into larger issues that require more complicated procedures.

Q: Does it hurt?

A: No! DIAGNOdent is completely painless. It’s energy level similar to that of a laser pointer, the laser beam is harmless to surrounding tissues.

Q: What are the shortcomings of the traditional dental techniques like probing and x-ray?

A: Believe it or not, as much as 50% of tooth decay may go undetected by traditional dental methods of probing and xray.

Q: Where does most tooth decay start today?

A: Today most tooth decay starts in the hard-to-see pits and valleys of the biting surface.

Q: Why are these pit and valley cavities more important to detect today than in the past?

A: In the past tooth decay was mainly between teeth. With the widespread use of fluoride, the very nature of tooth decay has changed. The outer surfaces of teeth are strengthened and more resistant. Today the pit and valley cavities are more common than cavities in between teeth. Xrays are very effective at finding cavities between the teeth but not in the pits and valleys.

Q: Why can’t traditional methods like the dental probe (pick) find these pit and valley cavities?

A: This type of decay can make diagnosis with traditional methods difficult because the outer tooth surface often appears to be intact and the probe may be too large to detect the cavity. In the past before fluorides we could rely on a sharp explorer to get stuck in the softened enamel pits. Flouride makes the enamel harder and the bacteria that cause cavities do a lot more damage under the surface before the top enamel finally gets soft.

Q: If DIAGNOdent is good at finding cavities do I still need x-rays?

A: Yes, X-rays and DIAGNOdent complement each other. X-rays are good at finding cavities in between teeth and on the roots. DIAGNOdent is good at find cavities on the tooth’s biting surface.

Q: If you can’t see it with your naked eye then why should one be concerned?

A: An almost undetectable area of decay can aggressively penetrate inward towards the soft surfaces of the tooth and literally destroy the tooth from the inside out. This can happen before a cavity is ever visible to the naked eye.

Q: How does DIAGNOdent work?

A: DIAGNOdent emits an audio signal and registers a digital read-out, which identifies cavities developing below the surface. The higher the amount of fluorescence detected by the machine, the higher the number and the decay within the tooth.

Q: What is the benefit to me?

A: Because the decay is detected earlier, the number of dental procedures – and hence, the cost – can often be reduced. It’s a great way to keep little problems from becoming big problems.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: We use the DIAGNOdent laser as a routine part of exams and there is no additional fee associated with the scan.

Q: Can DIAGNOdent be used around existing white composite fillings?

A: No. Because composite resins can fluoresce, prompting elevated readings, the DIAGNOdent should not be used on these materials.

Q: Can DIAGNOdent read decay under an existing silver fillings?

A: If there is decay at the margin, it will give an accurate reading; however if the decay is under the floor of the silver filling the reading will not be accurate.

Q: Can DIAGNOdent be used on both adult and baby teeth?

A: Studies have shown the unit is equally accurate in both adult and baby teeth.

Q: As the device is a laser, is protective eye wear required?

A: No. The device is harmless when used as directed.

Not only can Diagnodent help prevent the spread of decay, but catching decay early means fillings required are simpler and shallower, preserving more of the tooth. This allows us to use minimally invasive filling procedures, such as drill-free laser cavity preparation. Finally, we’re able to objectively monitor any suspicious areas without repeated x-rays.