People can be easily put off by large anesthetic needles and the noise of the drill during their dental treatments, but now, new laser technology allows for anesthetic-free fillings. Small, precise lasers let us drill cavities and repair teeth without the standard dental instruments and without the use of anesthetics. With no shots and no drills, the first and most significant impact of this technology comes in the form of increased patient comfort.
For nearly two decades, lasers have been used for restorative and cosmetic purposes in dentistry. Today, lasers are approved for safety by the Food and Drug Administration, and they have become much more prevalent and standard in dental offices across the country. Lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light. This energy can be used to achieve accuracy and precision when shaping the gums, biopsying oral tissues, removing tooth decay, and killing bacteria during a root canal. Lasers care even being used for elective procedures, such as to expedite in-office tooth whitening.
The Waterlase® tool is an exciting development in the field of Laser dentistry. Waterlase Dentistry uses laser energy and a gentle spray of water to perform a wide range of dental procedures, which means increased comfort. Waterlase cavity preparations can increase the bond strength of tooth-colored restorations resulting in longer lasting fillings. In Waterlase Dentistry, less anesthetic or often no anesthetic is needed and after the procedure patients may experience less swelling, little or no bleeding, and a faster recovery.