Lasers in Cosmetic Dentistry

"Laser dentistry" seems to be all the rage these days. If a dentist wants to be "high tech", he simply must have the word "laser" associated with his name. Much like the word "turbo" in the '90s, saying it doesn't necessarily make it so.

A laser is basically a light. Very intense, very focused, but just a light. lasers heat things up very fast and very accurately. Different types of laser light can be used to target very specific types of material such as tooth structure, gum tissue, corneal tissue, etc. This works because of the way the energy from the light is absorbed by certain materials and really gets too technical from here on out. Suffice it to say that there are some things lasers do well...and some things they don't. Today, there are several legitimate uses for lasers in cosmetic dentistry. These include:

• Laser Cavity Detection
• Gum Surgery
• Tooth preparation and decay removal
• Desensitizing teeth
• Tooth Whitening - note that this is an area that is way overhyped!

Lasers can be useful tools for dentists and surgeons. It is important not to be dazzled by the words and miss the message. The bottom line is, what treatment do you really need and what is the best (not the flashiest) way to reach your goals?