Laser Dentistry for Fillings
Dr. Everett E. Heringer has helped countless patients in the Bismarck and Mandan, ND area who suffer from tooth decay. Placing a filling is usually all that’s required, and laser dentistry has made the process much easier for us and for patients. It’s once of the perks of offering advanced technology at our family dental care center.
Even though the technology has been around for years, many patients are unaware of how laser dentistry works and its many benefits. Let’s go over the basics below.
What Is Laser Dentistry?
Laser dentistry is the next step forward in safe and effective dental care treatment. Rather than using drills and traditional handheld tools to treat teeth and soft tissues, a dentist can now use later technology.
With gum tissue lasers, there is less bleeding and reduced risk of infection thanks to the way the lasers cauterize as they cut. Dentists can also use lasers instead of dental drills, which is excellent for patients suffering from tooth decay or who require tooth prep before having a restoration placed.
Since we’re focused on laser dentistry and fillings, we’ll discuss the Waterlase® system and its many advantages.
About Waterlase
Waterlase eliminates the old-fashioned dental drill. Instead, this system uses just a laser light and a stream of water to clear away damaged, decayed, and compromised tooth structure. The laser is intense yet precisely focused to target the tooth structure. The stream of water accompanying the laser helps cool the tooth structure down so there is no heat and to ensure no further tooth structure is compromised.
Advantages of Laser Dentistry Over Drills
Waterlase has a number of important advantages over drills:
- No friction or pressure when prepping a tooth with a cavity
- No high-pitched whizzing or whirring sound, just soft pulses
- Greater precision and control than a dental drill
- Patients maintain more of their natural tooth structure thanks to Waterlase
- Less risk of damaging healthy tooth structure thanks to the precision and control
- Less need for local anesthesia since the Waterlase system is gentle on your teeth
- Ideal for patients who are afraid of visiting the dentist due to drills
- Great for children with cavities since it is not as scary as a dental drill
These are just a few of the compelling reasons our practice is proud to offer laser dentistry and other state-of-the-art treatment tools. It benefits patients, and it makes our jobs much easier.
What to Expect During the Procedure
During a laser dentistry visit for a filling, patients simply sit back and relax. The Waterlase system is used to precisely prep the tooth so a custom filling can be placed. In general, the whole treatment process is much faster thanks to the Waterlase system. Patients will experience less discomfort after their visit as well.
The Results of Laser Dentistry Fillings
The results of laser dentistry fillings are excellent. In addition to faster treatment times, patients experience better long-term dental health since more of their natural tooth structure is maintained. Children don’t develop anxiety about going to the dentist due to drills, which can lead to improved dental wellness well into adulthood.
Learn More About Laser Dentistry
If you live in the Mandan area and are interested in undergoing state-of-the-art dental care, be sure to contact a skilled cosmetic and restorative dentist. You can reach our office in Bismarck by calling (701) 255-4850.