Laser: No Pain, Definite Gain

Are you one of the many people in this world who puts off visits do the dentist as long as possible, held off by visions of drills and grinders scraping away? Well this fear may no longer be an issue, and you can feel safe and secure undergoing treatments at the dentist.

More commonly the concept of laser dentistry has been automatically associated with cosmetic procedures, especially whitening your teeth, but as we can see the benefits go beyond that to exceed just that.

Due to major technological advancements, Laser Dentistry has become a well known and well used tool in the dentist industry. “Laser Dentistry can be used more effectively in a range of procedures including, removal of plaque, decay, root canals, gum disease treatments, gum contouring, tooth whitening and many more surgical procedures,” says Dr. Anthony Rahayel, dentist specialised in Laser techniques.

Laser Dentistry is relatively new around the world, and Lebanon is one of the first countries in which a limited number of dentists have introduced the system into their practice today.

According to Rahayel, who teaches these new methods of dentistry at the Lebanese University, Faculty of Medicine, the biggest benefits of lasers are the pain free, suture free, and needle free treatment. This goes for cosmetic laser dentistry as well as non-cosmetic procedures.

“There is a lot less risk to using a laser than traditional treatments. For the most part you do not need to use sutures so there are no open wounds. No open wounds mean less of a chance of infection. Lasers also can kill bacteria as they work,” says Rahayel.

Decay is highly detrimental to the health of your teeth and finding tooth decay as early as possible can provide your teeth with much needed treatment, and in some cases save you from losing teeth. Detecting tooth decay at an early level can prevent further problems down the line including, cracks in the decayed tooth, root canal treatment and porcelain crowns or veneers.

For that big beautiful smile, “laser treatments have proved to be the safest and most effective method for teeth whitening,” says Rahayel. “You get better results than you would see with conventional teeth whitening procedures.”

Laser tooth whitening is ordinarily done with low intensity lasers. It uses light to enhance the affects of gels and other whitening chemicals. This speeds up the whitening process and shortens the length of time you have to use the nasty tasting gels.

To name but a few more advantages of laser treatments, it is used to help unsightly conditions such as cold sores and benign tumors. Cold sores can be embarrassing as well as unhealthy. Dentists can lessen the healing time and pain from cold sores by using low intensity lasers on severe ones. More than any of the current creams or sprays laser treatments will help reduce the pain and embarrassment of cold sores.

Another cosmetic laser treatment is treatment for gums that grow over healthy tooth tissue. This treatment exposes healthy hard dental tissue for a prettier less gummy smile. There are a variety of reasons to do this, some which are cosmetic and some because it is healthier for the teeth.

Laser Dentistry treatments can reduce stress, anxiety, pain, bleeding, and risk of infection, brighten your smile, and make you more confident. The efficiency of the procedure means that your trip to the dentist can be wrapped up in minutes instead of hours, reducing stress, jaw discomfort, faster healing time and a lower risk of infection. But as Dr. Rahayel emphasizes, the best way to take care of your teeth is to brush your teeth twice a day, each time for three minutes… change your toothbrush every three months, and go visit your dentist for a check-up every six months.