Dental lasers have improved the way that dentists perform a variety of procedures, including the treatment of periodontal issues. From pocket reductions to crown lengthening, it is now possible for patients to have their gums restored while forgoing incisions, stitches and the discomfort of traditional gum surgery. This is why we use soft tissue lasers at Hoye Dental.
With increased accuracy and effectiveness and decreased negative side effects, soft tissue lasers offer many benefits to both dentists and patients. Using the energy of various wavelengths of light to cut and vaporize tissue, procedures that use soft tissue lasers may not require stitches or anesthesia. The laser also minimizes bleeding, bacterial infections and damage to surrounding tissue. In addition, wounds can heal much faster.
Dr. Kathleen Hoye often uses soft tissue laser therapy for pocket reduction, which is the treatment of gum disease. The laser is used to reduce the bacterial levels in the pockets of your gums. By killing bacteria and reducing pocket depth, this therapy helps restore healthy periodontal structures around your teeth.
Soft tissue lasers can also be used for cold sores. They can reduce pain and minimize your healing time. With the pain management attachment, the laser can also help relax TMJ disorders and reduce inflammation.
Soft Tissue (Gum) Laser Dentistry Procedures
- Crown Lengthening: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue (soft tissue laser) and bone (hard tissue laser) to expose healthier tooth structure. Referred to as crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for the placement of restorations.
- Gummy Smile: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.
- Muscle Attachment (Frenula): A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.
- Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis): Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
Other Laser Dentistry Applications
- Viewing Tooth and Gum Tissues: Optical Coherence Tomography is a safer way to see inside tooth and gums in real time.
- Benign Tumors: Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks and lips.
- Cold Sores: Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
- Nerve Regeneration: Photobiomodulation can be used to regenerate damaged nerves, blood vessels and scars.
- Sleep Apnea: In cases where sleep apnea is a result of a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat (which sometimes occurs with age), a laser assisted uvuloplasty or laser assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) procedure can be performed to reshape the throat and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea.
- Teeth Whitening: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used to speed up the bleaching process associated with teeth whitening.
- Temporomandibular Joint Treatment: Dental lasers may be used to quickly reduce pain and inflammation of the temporomandibular jaw joint.
Lasers represent an innovative and more precise technology for specific applications. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, please call us
in Needham, MA at 781.444.4647 or in Taunton, MA, at 508.823.1600 or visit our website at www.HoyeDental.com.
