Laser dentistry was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the mid-1990’s and by 1996 the use of dental lasers on hard tissue, for example, teeth and the mandible bone, was greatly improved. With it still being a relatively new field within dentistry it is an exciting time to learn more about this new method of oral health care. Whilst certain conditions and problems are still best treated by alternative methods, the advantages involved in the use of dental lasers are many and are ever increasing as the technology develops.
However many proponents of traditional dentistry may see it as unnecessary or too complicated for them to learn with not enough gain for them and their patients and won’t see the value in the extra cost to their dental surgery. After all, if you have become a master of the drill after 25 years in the trade, why bother learning with a laser what you can do with the humble drill? Well in this article we can hopefully explain exactly that.
Benefits of Laser Dentistry
Many people have a fear of visiting the dentist. Laser dentistry can be a great help at easing those fears that some patients may have when they think about visiting the dentist. Firstly, the way a laser works means that the heat and vibration caused by the impact of a traditional dentist drill no longer occurs. Consequently, there is a far lower need for anesthetic and therefore injections and numb lips (which are regular side effects of the anesthetics used) which can be experienced for a considerable amount of time after any procedure can become very agitating and frustrating. Sometimes the worst thing about any visit to see a dentist is the discomfort which is experienced afterwards rather than during the actual treatment. Problems such as bleeding and pain are either unnoticeable or far less pronounced with this method of dentistry and can prove to be a great selling point as well as helping with retaining customers.
For some people, it is the sound of the drill that sets them on edge and even the most ardent dentist can’t really try to claim that it’s a reasonless reaction. The high pitched whirring and buzzing sound that seems to fill your entire head and drown out everything else while the dentist does his work on you. Bear in mind that lasers also make their own set of unattractive noises, however, the likelihood is that your patients won’t quite so strongly identify them with pain as they do with the dentist’s drill.
How does it Work?
Rather than utilizing a traditional dentist drill, laser dentistry, as the name suggests, can perform lots of different kinds of treatment by placing a highly accurate beam of light on the area targeted. Tissue can be targeted and removed without any physical contact with the patient. Its precision allows a dentist to work on very small areas without affecting any nearby tissue. Often patients will claim that a dentist has done something to another tooth or the gum whilst operating on them and, whether these thoughts are accurate or not, the absence of this occurring will be of psychological benefit to patients and will likely lead to revisits deemed unnecessary by patients as well as the good reputation that their positive review will generate can be passed on to their friends after they have experienced it.
Courses and Qualifications
Laser dentistry can be now be learned practically anywhere. Often it is not taught in the places in which other dental practices and certifications are taught but it is becoming much more widespread and the possibility to learn it has increased significantly in recent years. Treatments such as ablation of enamel, dentin and bone, and gum surgery can be learned. Whilst introduction courses can provide you with the knowledge and evidence of the advantages it can provide, that does not equal certification. It is important to complete the relevant courses to have your proficiency in the field assessed and then having done so you will be able to display this for patients as well as enabling you to feel confident providing this alternative and highly beneficial method of dentistry.
When you are looking for a supplier of these courses it’s imperative that you not only check the accreditations and scores that they have been awarded by both the medical and education authorities for your jurisdiction, but also try to find out as much as possible form ex-students, be that by speaking with other practitioners in the area or even by looking online at their reviews and ratings, be sure to check these against each other or on different website to validate their veracity.
