The Advantages Of Laser Dental Surgery
Laser dental surgery can reduce swelling, bleeding, and the need for sutures and even anesthesia. And these are just a few of its advantages.
Due to poor access to dental care, many Americans suffer from serious oral health problems. Left untreated, these conditions can require dental surgery.
Luckily, today’s patients have more options than those who underwent oral surgery in the past.
In particular, today’s oral surgery patients have the option to undergo surgery using dental lasers, rather than traditional tools. But is it right for you?
Choosing An Oral Surgeon
If you’re in need of dental surgery, the first thing you should do is talk to your current dentist.
Most dentists don’t perform specialized surgery, but they can help you choose the best local oral surgeon for your particular condition.
There are many different dental sub-specialties, which makes guidance from your dentist vital.
For example, if you need a surgical tooth extraction or jaw surgery, you’ll need an oral or maxillofacial surgeon, while periodontists treat gum disease, and prosthodontists handle tooth implants, veneers, and bridges.
Seeing the right dental specialist will ensure the best outcome.
Why Choose Laser Dental Surgery?
Once you’ve identified what type of procedure you need, then it’s really time to decide whether you want to have a traditional procedure or surgery using laser technology.
The good news is that the costs are largely equivalent, so that is only a minor factor.
Compared to traditional dental surgery, though, laser procedures can cause less pain, reduce bleeding and swelling, and better preserve the remaining healthy tooth.
Laser dental surgery can be used for a variety of different applications, including both hard and soft tissue procedures.
Some common laser dental procedures include:
- Removing and treating cavities;
- Removing decay;
- Excising fibromas and even root canals.
Some periodontists also perform laser procedures, such as removing diseased and infected tissue, granulation, and removal of inflamed tissue.
Lasers Combat Anxiety
In addition to reducing bleeding and swelling, decreasing the need for sutures, and potentially even eliminating the need for anesthesia for some procedures, some people also find that laser dentistry reduces their anxiety.
Why? The main reason is that using a laser eliminates the need for a drill, so there are no loud, whirring tools involved.
Just having a quieter procedure, and one with less pain can make undergoing oral surgery less stressful.
A Personalized Experience
Unlike a blade, lasers are highly adaptable tools. That means, if you opt for laser dental surgery, your surgeon can optimize the laser’s beam, wavelength, and other features for personalized treatment.
This allows for more precise treatment – contributing to better long-term results, and faster healing.
The laser is also much less invasive, meaning less damage to healthy tissue.
A skilled surgeon can do precise work with a scalpel, but it just can’t compare to a laser.
A Question Of Experience
While laser surgery is the wave of the future, be sure to weigh your surgeon’s experience when deciding on the type of procedure to have.
It’s important that your dentist has sufficient experience performing laser procedures. If your local dentists are only experienced with traditional techniques, then that is the safest and wisest course.
Every situation is different and while laser dental surgery is increasingly common, you have to make the choice that is right for your health at the moment.
