Dental Lasers
At Ottawa Dentistry, our dentists use dental lasers in a variety of dental procedures.
What is a Dental Laser?
A dental laser is a device that emits a single wavelength of light energy directed on tooth, gum or soft tissue to repair decay, gum disease, or soft tissue disorders with precision and accuracy.
How We Use Lasers
Dental lasers can be used for a number of general and cosmetic treatments including:
- To remove tooth decay and prepare the surrounding area for a dental filling
- To reshape gums and remove bacteria during gum disease treatment
- To activate the peroxide bleaching solution to speed up the teeth whitening process
- To help sterilize teeth during a root canal
- To treat cold sores and canker sores
- To treat face and jaw pain (TMD/TMJ)
- To promote faster healing of surgical sites through a process called bio-stimulation
- To desensitize and anesthetize teeth where possible
Why We Use Lasers
Lasers allow our dentists to perform dental procedures often with less pain and fewer medical interventions.
The laser beam sterilizes the affected area and seals off blood vessels, which helps minimize swelling, bleeding or infection.
The need for anesthesia may also be reduced and sometimes even eliminated.
Lasers can also be helpful for patients who feel anxious about visiting the dentist because they allow the dentist to use the drill less.
Overall, this means that patients may be more comfortable both during and after treatment.
Odyssey Soft-Tissue Diode Laser
The Odyssey™ Soft-Tissue Diode LASER can be used to modify gum lines to help alter the appearance of the gumline. It can also be used to help reduce the harmful bacteria which cause gum disease; thus, laser treatment may improve gum health and reduce the risk of gum disease. This procedure can often be done by our dentist without anesthesia.