Benefits of Laser Dentistry

Laser dentistry technology allows us to provide gentle, minimally-invasive treatments to our patients in Carmel Valley. But how does laser dentistry work, and what are the benefits of laser dentistry over conventional treatments?

Why it’s Good for Our Patients

The pinpoint precision of FDA-approved dental lasers allows our Carmel Valley dentists to provide extreme accuracy for soft tissue treatments. But not only that, lasers often eliminate more surgical techniques that otherwise require lengthy healing times, sutures, or cause discomfort.

Using a soft tissue laser significantly reduces any irritation, swelling, or bleeding after soft tissue therapy. Our patients get to enjoy faster healing and better treatment results.

We incorporate laser therapy whenever possible because we’ve seen firsthand how much healthier our patients’ smiles are afterward. But it’s also the less invasive alternative over more conventional surgeries that would require sutures and more time off work to recover. Our Carmel Valley dentists believe that minimally-invasive and comfortable care should be standard practice for everyone!

What is Laser Dentistry?

How does laser dentistry work? By capturing powerful light energy in one thin beam. This tiny but powerful beam of light is used to adjust soft tissues without any cutting or invasive measures. It also slightly cauterizes the outermost layer of tissue, eliminating the need for stitches when used during oral surgery procedures.

Various levels of laser energy are used in dental care. Some are more therapeutic than surgical. Therapeutic laser dentistry in Carmel Valley includes treatments for gum disease (like pocket decontamination) or treating cold sores to reduce flare-ups. Whereas surgical lasers allow us to reshape gumlines or instead of incisions during an extraction.

Laser Treatments Available

Periodontal Therapy—Gum disease (periodontitis) destroys the attachment tissue around the roots of your teeth. Left untreated, it causes bone and gum tissue loss, resulting in tooth mobility as well as tooth loss. Traditionally, we treat gum disease with a series of deep cleanings. But laser pocket decontamination can improve a person’s recovery and help them prevent recurrent infections.

Laser periodontal therapy removes the infectious bacteria down inside of periodontal pockets as well as the diseased cells inside of those spaces without harming the healthy gum tissues next to them. As a result, periodontal patients typically see less bleeding and swelling as well as improvement in their gum attachment levels. These treatments are comfortable and easily incorporated into your deep cleaning appointment.

Gummy Smile Treatment—Uneven gumlines can make teeth look short, lopsided, or cause you to have a “gummy” smile when too much tissue is visible. Laser gum recontouring provides same-day results without lengthy recovery times. It’s a better, faster alternative than traditional types of gum recontouring procedures.

This treatment offers permanent results, helping your natural teeth look healthier and fuller. By creating perfect symmetry across your smile, we naturally improve your overall appearance. Cosmetic options like whitening or veneers may not even be necessary!

Tooth Desensitizing—Severe tooth sensitivity can make it painful to eat or drink. When we set the wavelength on the laser at a specific setting, it can be used to treat extremely sensitive areas, like exposed tooth roots.

Laser sensitivity treatments may need to be re-administered every several months or years, depending on the individual.

Cold Sore Treatment—Canker sores, aphthous ulcers, and fever blisters can be painful. Particularly if you tend to get cold sores that last a week or longer. If you let us know when you start to feel the tingling pinpricks of an upcoming cold sore, we can treat the site with our soft tissue laser to reduce how long the ulcer is active. Most people see about a 50% decrease in the lifetime of their cold sore. The key is to catch it early.

Laser Dentistry in Carmel Valley

Torrey Hills Dental offers laser dentistry in Carmel Valley, providing a gentle solution for our patients needing soft tissue therapy. Our dentists in Carmel Valley and hygienists are laser certified, offering safe and same-day treatment results for patients of all backgrounds.

If you experience frequent cold sores or have persistent periodontal disease, contact our office today to reserve a no-obligation appointment.