Technology in dentistry has undergone numerous innovative advancements over the past few decades. One of the most prominent technological advancements in dentistry is the use of lasers for various cosmetic procedures. Laser dentistry is a versatile, safe, and precise time-controlled technique that can be used for teeth whitening, crown lengthening, laser gum contouring, and so much more. Since laser dentistry is completely painless and minimally invasive, it’s also an effective solution for treating patients who suffer from dentophobia—anxiety associated with visiting the dentist. Keep reading to learn about the many attributes of laser dentistry for cosmetic treatments.
What Is the Role of Lasers in Cosmetic Dentistry?
Just like many other technological advancements in the field of dentistry, lasers have served to make receiving and administering treatments easier and more convenient for both the patient and the dentist. There are two types of laser dentistry treatments:
- Hard tissue treatments are used for your teeth and include cavity detection, treating tooth sensitivity, preparing teeth for various treatments, and putting in dental fillings.
- Soft tissue treatments are performed on the gums. These can include reducing the appearance of a gummy smile, crown lengthening, removing soft tissue folds, treating tongue frenulum attachment (also known as tongue-tie)
Essentially, the role of lasers in cosmetic dentistry is to effectively perform hard and soft tissue dental and oral treatments in a minimally invasive, painless, and efficient fashion for the patient.
How Does Laser Dentistry Work?
For unparalleled precision, laser dentistry uses a thin but potent combination of light and heat to perform various cosmetic dental procedures. The laser beam is expelled out of a state-of-the-art piece of dental equipment that’s controlled by your dentist.
Prior to treatment, you’ll receive local anesthesia to numb the treatment area. Patients who suffer from mild or severe dental anxiety have the option of receiving a sedative to help calm their nerves. The procedure is quick, easy, and virtually painless. Unlike with traditional dental treatments that entail drilling and polishing, you won’t feel any discomfort, vibrations, pressure, or sensitivity.
Uses for Lasers in Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is a vast field that requires the utmost expertise and precision, regardless of the nature of the specific procedure. In addition to impacting the aesthetic of your smile, it also affects your oral health as a whole. Laser dentistry procedures are formulated to target both soft and hard tissues within your oral cavity and correct structural problems that can contribute to bacterial infections, gingivitis, periodontitis, and other oral diseases.
Hard tissue treatments use strong wavelengths to reshape and contour your teeth to make them more aesthetically pleasing, correct misalignment, and improve the functionality of your bite.
Soft tissue treatment targets your gums and therefore uses softer wavelengths to prevent causing further damage.
Here is a list of some of the most common laser treatments and procedures used in cosmetic dentistry today.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic treatments dentists perform. We all want to have bright, clean, and healthy-looking pearly whites. Many patients, though, don’t particularly enjoy spending approximately 45 minutes in a dentist’s chair to achieve this result. Laser teeth whitening uses cutting edge technology and a potent hydrogen peroxide gel bleach to speed up the process and make it as comfortable as possible for patients.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a great solution for correcting and hiding dental imperfections such as misaligned, cracked, and discoloured teeth. However, a lot of patients worry that people will be able to tell they have fake teeth. With the help of advanced laser technology, dentists can easily place, repair, and remove porcelain veneers with minimal tooth trauma. Plus, the lack of vibrations makes the treatment more comfortable and helps relieve patient anxiety without the need for sedation or anesthesia unless the patient requests it ahead of time.
Lasers can also be used to carefully contour the tissues surrounding the porcelain veneers to create perfect cohesion, so that no one will be able to tell that the tooth is fake. Another benefit of using lasers for this type of procedure is the speed. Laser treatment is a lot faster and only takes a few minutes to complete compared to the traditional method of contouring and reshaping veneers, which can take a lot longer.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a cosmetic dentistry procedure that’s designed to correct an array of dental conditions including injuries, decay, and reducing an overreaching gum line to expose more of your tooth. Basically, this procedure carefully removes portions of your gum tissue to expose more of your tooth.
Advanced laser dentistry tools allow your dentist to accomplish this with absolute precision in a short amount of time while minimizing the risk of injury, bleeding, or inaccurate contouring.
Laser Gum Contouring
Also known as gingivoplasty and gingival sculpting, laser gum contouring is the process of balancing out an uneven gum line to make it look more cohesive and straighter. Like crown lengthening, this procedure entails removing excess gum tissue to help expose more of your teeth and improve your overall oral health by reducing the amount of food particles from being trapped inside your gum pockets.
In addition to removing excess gum tissue from certain parts of your mouth, your dentist can use the same laser technology to place the extracted gum tissue in areas that need more of it to create a balanced and even smile.
What Are the Benefits of Laser Dentistry?
- It’s painless
- It’s convenient
- It simplifies complex procedures
- It cuts down the time it takes to perform cosmetic dental procedures
- Improves your overall dental health
- Produces long-lasting results
The use of lasers is becoming an increasingly common practice in the field of cosmetic dentistry. At Princeview Dental Group, we perform a variety of cosmetic dental treatments that can help improve your confidence in your smile and your oral health. Contact us today to book an appointment.
