Laser Therapy

What are lasers used to treat?

Dental lasers are used to:

• Remove tooth decay within a tooth and prepare the surrounding enamel for receipt of the filling.
• Treat gum disease. Lasers are used to reshape gums and remove bacteria during root canal procedures.
• Perform a biopsy or remove a lesion. Lasers can be used to remove a small piece of tissue (called a biopsy) so that it can be examined for cancer. Lasers are also used to remove lesions in the mouth and relieve the pain of canker sores.
• Whiten teeth. Lasers are used to speed up in-office teeth whitening procedures. A peroxide bleaching solution, applied to the tooth surface, is ”activated” by laser energy, which speeds up of the whitening process.

Is laser therapy painful?

The lasers do not cause as much pain as dental drills. Also, they do not make loud noises or vibrations that also cause anxiety in some patients. Since lasers cause little to no pain, many patients do not need anesthetic during procedures.