The use of lasers is now becoming a standard in many fields of medicine, from eyesight correction to hair removal. Many people are not aware that lasers are now being used in dentistry.

At Holt Dental care, we have incorporated three types of lasers into our office to provide the best quality treatment and care for our patients. The first type of laser is a hard tis-sue laser, which is used on teeth. This laser is a dental instrument that produces an in-tense beam of light energy to remove tooth enamel and decay in a very precise manner. This allows the dentist the ability to provide conservative dentistry, by retaining as much healthy tooth structure as possible. The laser can be more precise than a dental drill due to its ability to detect the softer, darker decayed tooth structure. The dental laser and the dental drill are often used simultaneously to provide the best quality restora-tion/filling. As technology improves, patients need to be aware that this option for re-storing teeth is available as it offers many benefits to the patient. One benefit that pa-tients find more appealing than any other is the fact that in most cases local anesthesia can be avoided, meaning no more shots! This varies from patient to patient and is es-pecially beneficial in children, young adults, and elderly patients.

The laser also reduces chances of infection by killing bacteria, thus reducing pain and swelling. Lasers are quieter than drills, reduce post-operative discomfort, and provide a faster healing time.

A soft tissue laser is the second type of laser used in our office. This laser can be used to treat mouth sores, including cold sores & canker sores. It can also be used if decay extends below the gums by gently contouring the gingiva and creating homeostasis (stopping the bleeding). This is required to provide a clean, dry working field, and in turn leads to a better quality restoration. The dental drill typically causes lacerations and bleeding gums, which can contaminate the restoration. The soft tissue laser also kills bacteria in periodontally diseased tissues leading to reattachment of the gums to the tooth.

The final type of laser, called a diagnodent directs the laser beam about 2mm below the tooth surface. This allows the dentist to find decay that might not be visible clinically to the eye. Often, grooves in teeth that are stained may not appear to be decayed, how-ever, the use of the diagnodent allows the dentist to rule out decay or place a filling to restore the tooth to health.

Overall, lasers give the dentist the ability to provide better quality dentistry. Avoiding "shots" when removing decay, reducing bleeding, faster healing of the gums, reducing bacteria, and the ability to detect decay beneath the tooth surface are huge benefits tot he patient. Holt Dental Care has incorporated all three lasers into this office to provide the best quality dentistry that all patients should be receiving. People are living longer and keeping their teeth longer than ever before. It has been discovered that the health of your mouth is directly related to the health of your entire body, making it even more vital to keep your mouth as a healthy as possible. Be sure that you are receiving the quality dental treatment you deserve. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about our lasers, please call Holt Dental Care at 801-282-5839