Dental lasers are modern treatments for gum problems. Dr. Christopher Banks uses soft tissue diode lasers to treat gum tissue. Dental lasers use light energy or wavelengths to contour or cut tissue. Laser dentistry treatments in our Washington, DC, dental office help prevent future dental problems and keep the gums healthy. We use dental lasers to make our cosmetic and general dentistry services less painful and more efficient.
The Benefits of Dental Lasers
Modern technology is advancing dentistry in many ways. One of the best innovations is laser dentistry, often used instead of a scalpel for various gum treatments. A laser beam is concentrated light energy, forming a precise treatment instrument. Unlike scalpels, the laser can precisely target only diseased tissue so it won’t impact healthy tissues surrounding the treatment area.
Laser dentistry services in our Washington, DC, dental office offer many benefits. Dental lasers offer:
Comfortable Treatment
Laser dentistry is minimally invasive compared to using a scalpel. The treatment is more comfortable and less painful for the patient. Many patients don’t need local anesthesia when getting laser dentistry. As it’s treating your gums, the laser seals off nerve endings, reducing the pain and sensitivity.
Quiet Care
Lasers are an ideal form of treatment for patients who have dental anxiety. A scalpel is one of the tools that most commonly triggers patients with this condition. Lasers also don’t have the noise like that of a dental drill, another common trigger.
Quick Healing
Since laser procedures don’t require cutting your gums, there’s less bleeding during them. Like the nerve endings, the laser seals off blood vessels as it treats the area. There’s no need for sutures to close the wound, promoting a faster healing time. Because lasers seal tissue, it helps reduce the risk of infections.
A dental laser activates the body’s healing process, meaning the area will heal even quicker. You won’t have as much swelling and discomfort, leading to a shorter downtime after the procedure.
Laser Dentistry Services in Washington, DC
Dental lasers can treat hard tissue or soft tissue. Hard tissue lasers can prepare teeth for fillings or provide teeth whitening treatment. Soft tissue lasers treat the soft tissues, and can treat gum problems and tissue problems like tongue and lip tie. We offer multiple dental treatments with a soft tissue laser:
Gingivectomy
One of the primary services in laser dentistry is a gingivectomy. This procedure focuses on removing gum tissue to expose more of the tooth.
It’s often used for patients with gummy smiles, where the balance between their gums and teeth is off, showing more gums than teeth. This makes your teeth look small. You may also have uneven gums; some teeth look bigger or smaller than others. A gingivectomy can give you an even, symmetrical smile.
Prepare for Cosmetic and Restorative Treatments
Sometimes, we may need to remove gum tissue to provide a better dental crown or porcelain veneer foundation. These treatments require a certain amount of tooth structure to ensure a good result. Exposing more of the tooth ensures that the restoration goes smoothly. With a laser, we can gently target and remove a small portion of gum tissue.
Frenectomy
Tongue or lip ties occur when a piece of tissue called the frenulum is too tight and restrictive. The frenulum connects your lip to your gums and the tongue to the base of your mouth. When it is too tight, you can have problems speaking or eating normally.
With lasers, we can treat this condition without requiring a surgical procedure. Using the heat from a laser, we can gently cut the tissue that restricts the tongue or lips. This procedure is called a frenectomy.
Gum Disease
Lastly, laser dentistry can treat periodontal disease. When you get gum disease, bacteria irritate the gum tissue, causing infection and inflammation. Pockets develop between the gums and jawbone, accumulating food debris and bacteria.
A dental laser can clean out these pockets, reducing the risk of spreading infection since it sterilizes the area as it treats it. If there’s damaged tissue, we can use a laser to remove those areas without impacting the healthy tissue in your mouth.
Laser Dentistry FAQs
Do you want to learn more? Read answers to frequently asked questions about laser dentistry in our Washington, DC office:
How long is dental laser treatment?
The length of your laser treatment will depend on your treatment type. Hard tissue laser treatments may take less time than soft tissue treatments. Treating tongue and lip tie with a dental laser may take under an hour, while gum contouring can take longer. In addition, removing bacteria from the gums can take one to two hours.
However, we will ensure you feel comfortable throughout your treatment. Lasers often reduce treatment time and discomfort for patients.
Is laser dentistry safe?
Yes, dental lasers are safe. Before treatment, we will give you glasses to wear to protect your eyes from the laser’s light.
We will use the appropriate laser for the type of treatment. Our office uses a soft tissue diode laser that is only effective for treating the mouth’s gums and soft tissues. Our dentist is trained
Lasers are also highly precise. Because of their precision, dental lasers will target the treated tissues without affecting the surrounding teeth or gums.
Who is not a good candidate for laser dentistry?
We will not recommend dental lasers if you have treatment that we can only perform with traditional dental tools like drills. Our office will also not recommend laser gum treatment if you have mild gum problems. If you have gingivitis or gum inflammation, we will not need to remove your gum tissue.
Dr. Banks will review your options with you, including dental laser treatment options, before he creates your specific treatment plan.
Treat Your Gums
Dental laser treatment can address a gummy smile or diseased gum tissue. Contact Dupont Dental for comfortable laser dentistry treatment in Washington, DC, today at (202) 946-4720 or schedule your next dental appointment online. Let us know if you have questions about laser treatment and we will be happy to help.