This will be welcome news for the many people who dread going to the dentist in Saskatoon because of factors like the sounds, vibrations, and bleeding during treatment, or because of fear of the dentist’s drill. SIgnificant investments in equipment and training mean that dentists in Saskatoon can use laser dentistry to perform a wide variety of dental procedures without noise, vibrations, pain, or bleeding.
The basics of laser dentistry
Dentists can use precisely targeted and intensely focused beams of light — lasers — to provide a broad range of treatments affecting both hard tissues (teeth and bone) and soft tissues (gums and tissue). The precision of both hard and soft tissue lasers means that dentists can treat and remove precise areas of damaged or infected tissue without affecting or sacrificing healthy adjacent tissue. Because laser dentistry is minimally invasive, your recovery times are shorter.
Hard tissue lasers are used to treat bones and teeth. Examples of hard tissue procedures for which laser dentistry is ideal include root canal therapy, treating cavities with fillings, and bonding.
Soft tissue lasers use a wavelength easily absorbed by the blood molecule hemoglobin. This makes soft tissue lasers ideal for procedures affecting your gums. Soft tissue lasers seal exposed blood vessels as they work, meaning that there is very little bleeding during soft tissue laser dentistry. This keeps the area being treated by your dentist in Saskatoon as hygienic as possible, reduces the already low risk of infection, and shortens your recovery time.
With laser dentistry, dentists are able to perform multiple procedures in different areas of your mouth in single appointments because there will be much less bleeding, much less disruption of tissue, and significantly reduced pain even without anesthetics. The ability to combine treatments into single appointments can reduce the total number of dental appointments you may need to attend.
The Pros and Cons of Laser Dentistry
Laser dentistry offers a highly advanced alternative for patients who struggle with many aspects of traditional dental treatment. As with any medical or dental procedure, there are advantages and disadvantages of laser dentistry
Advantages of laser dentistry in Saskatoon
- It is less likely that you will need stitches
- Laser dentistry reduces or eliminates the need for anesthesia
- The risk of infection following laser dentistry procedures is lower because the laser sterilizes tissue as it works and is much more precise and less invasive
- You will recover from laser dentistry procedures more quickly than traditional dentistry because they are minimally invasive and seal blood vessels as they work
- Lasers are silent and produce no vibrations
Disadvantages of laser dentistry
- Procedures performed with laser dentistry can take more time to complete, although your recovery time will be shorter.
- Lasers can not be used on teeth containing metal amalgam (“silver”) fillings
- Lasers can not reach every area on every tooth, meaning some use of a drill may still be necessary for awkwardly located cavities. Drills are also still essential tools for shaping and polishing fillings.
- Laser dentistry treatment can be more expensive than traditional alternatives
If there have been aspects of traditional dentistry that have served as obstacles to you getting the dental care and treatment you need and deserve, laser dentistry in Saskatoon may be the key to your future oral health. Laser dentistry is just one example of technological advancements that have revolutionized the practice and experience of dentistry. If you have been putting off needed dental treatment — or are just curious about how laser dentistry can help meet your family’s dental needs — get in touch with our dentist in Saskatoon and ask if laser treatment is appropriate for you.