Laser Dentistry

If the sound of the dental drill and other tools causes dental anxiety, you may benefit from the use of laser dentistry. Mojgan Hashemi, DDS, at Los Robles General & Cosmetic Dental Center in Thousand Oaks, California, offers laser dentistry for a variety of procedures to reduce healing time, minimize bleeding, and help patients with anxiety have a more comfortable experience. Call the office or schedule an appointment online to learn more.

What is laser dentistry?

Laser dentistry is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved dental treatment that uses light energy for procedures involving teeth and gums. Laser dentistry is ideal for individuals with dental anxiety as it offers a more comfortable treatment option than traditional dentistry tools.

What are the common uses of laser dentistry?

Dr. Hashemi can extract and shape tissue with lasers, making tooth decay removal more precise. Lasers can also whiten teeth, treat hypersensitivity, and treat gum disease.

The most common uses of lasers in dentistry include:

• Eliminating sensitivity to hold and cold temperatures
• Cavity detection
• Dental fillings 
• Reshaping gum and bone tissue for healthier tooth structure
• Removing soft tissue folds to help dentures fit better

If you have dental anxiety or phobia associated with hearing or seeing dental tools in your mouth, laser dentistry can help relieve your symptoms. 

What types of laser dentistry are available?

Los Robles General & Cosmetic Dental Center offers two types of laser dentistry:

BIOLASE Epic™ Laser

Dr. Hashemi uses the BIOLASE Epic laser for:

• Relieving pain caused by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
• Promoting faster healing and minimizing bleeding from oral surgery
• Treating canker and cold sores

The BIOLASE Epic shortens the healing time required for dental treatments, eliminates the need for anesthesia for certain procedures and relieves post-operative discomfort. 

WaterLase® Laser Dentistry

The WaterLase Laser helps Dr. Hashemi deliver dental procedures with greater accuracy and minimizes recovery time after treatment. The most common dental procedures that use the laser include:

• Periodontal treatments
• Uncovering an impacted tooth
• Recontouring the gum line
• Lengthening a crown
• Frenectomy
• Removing damaged gum tissue
• Oral tissue biopsies

In addition, the WaterLase Laser can treat sleep apnea, remove benign tumors, and whiten teeth. Patients recover faster when the laser is used during treatment and experience reduced bleeding and risk of infection.

The laser is extremely quiet, which helps calm patients with dental anxiety caused by the sound of traditional dental drills and tools.

How does laser dentistry compare with traditional dentistry?

Laser dentistry offers several benefits over traditional dentistry, including:

• Decreased anxiety for patients with dental fears
• Decreased need for sutures 
• Minimized bleeding 
• Reduced need for anesthesia or sedation
• Reduced risk for bacterial infections
• Faster healing

Because of the precision of the laser, laser dentistry also has the potential to cause less damage to surrounding tissues.

To find out if laser dentistry is right for you, call the office or schedule an appointment online.