No
need for needles! No Pain! It’s a breeze. The laser sprays out a
computer-controlled spray of air and water as it activates the water
droplets to comfortably remove the tooth decay (cavity).No high-pitched whine or vibration from the grinding of the drill! All you hear is a soft popping, similar to the sound of popcorn popping – (by the way, NEVER has a patient of mine had any complaint about this sound- they actually think it’s “pretty cool.”)
How it works...
Unlike previous lasers, this one does not heat up the tooth, so the potential for damage to the nerve of the tooth (which would require root canal treatment) is gone. The DELight Laser focuses its wavelength on the water that is contained in the tooth decay. This then activates the microscopic droplets of water to painlessly remove the tooth decay.
The laser sterilizes the tooth as it
removes decay. This is very important because it prevents bacterial contamination.
Many of you have had to have old fillings replaced with either new fillings
or in many cases, with crowns and sometimes even root canals. The
reoccurrence of decay under fillings is a primary reason why so many root
canals are needed. Since this new laser sterilizes the tooth as it removes
decay, and I now use bonded filling materials enriched
with fluoride, the chances of ever having recurrent decay under that new
filling are much lower.The laser activates microscopic droplets of water, and it is this activated water that actually causes the removal of the tooth decay. Unlike other lasers, the heat of the laser is not directly absorbed by the tooth so there is no melting of the surface of the tooth and no heat generated that could damage the nerve. This means that there is little or no inflammation of the nerve when a laser is used. Dental drills, on the other hand, can cause inflammation in the nerve of the tooth due to the heat and vibration they cause. This nerve inflammation has a direct effect on the post operative sensitivity of a tooth often seen after new large fillings. The lack of nerve inflammation when the DELight Laser is used results in significantly less tooth sensitivity after new fillings.
Laser treatment of the tooth surface has been shown to increase hardness and acid resistance of tooth structure. This results in 50-72% more resistance to tooth decay. Again, this means less chance of new decay under the fillings, less chance of needing future crowns and root canals!
Vibrations from dental drills can cause micro-cracks in enamel. Over several years, these small cracks often progress deeply into teeth, resulting in the need of crowns and often root canal treatment. The DELight Laser will not create micro-cracks in enamel like a vibrating drill will. So a great bonus of reducing the potential for cracked teeth is fewer crowns and root canals.
The laser preferentially removes softer structure faster than hard. This means that, unlike the drill that removes anything in its path, the laser is more conservative and removes less healthy tooth structure. This means the tooth retains more strength and less chance of future problems.
The most common areas of tooth decay are the natural pits and fissures found on the biting surfaces of molars. We have the ability to seal these pits and fissures to prevent decay. The problem is that these ultra-thin fissures have debris in them before we seal the fissures. The fissures are so narrow that conventional methods of cleaning these fissures are unable to fully remove the debris. This can result in inadequate bond of the sealants and sealants often just fall out. The laser can be set at a very low power setting, allowing total removal of all debris without loss of healthy enamel. The obvious result is a sealant that has an excellent chance of lasting and preventing tooth decay for an entire lifetime.
Historically, sealants have only been placed on children. By adulthood, the deep pits and fissures have become so firmly packed with debris that placement of sealants over this debris has been unsuccessful. The DELight Laser can remove even this firmly packed debris without removing healthy enamel, thus affording adults the same sealant protection against the most common type of tooth decay as children.
The DELight Laser is especially great for kids. Sure, if the dentist is very good, shots should not be painful. But, knowing you’re getting a shot is psychologically painful-even if you can’t feel the needle-especially for kids. By not getting a shot, not feeling the vibration of the drill and by not hearing the loud drill, kids never become afraid of the dentist, so they don’t grow up to be adults who are afraid of the dentist.
After dental treatment, it’s not unusual for kids (or adults for that matter) to bite their lips or tongue because of being numb. With the laser treatment, there is no numbness so no chance of a child injuring himself after dental treatment.
Have you ever needed fillings on both sides of your mouth? The dentist may have had to bring you back two or more times because of not wanting to get you numb in more than one area. Well now, with no need for needles, the fillings can be done on the same visit with no need to bring you back. And, has this ever happened to you? – you get a filling-the dentist checks your bite with that blue paper-because you’re numb, you can’t really tell that the filling is high-so it’s back to the dentist, right? Well, with no numbness, you can tell right away how the bite feels.
Maybe you’ve been told that you need gum treatment. With the DELight Laser, treating your gums is simple and nowadays, you just can’t find any treatment that is easier, more effective and more painless than with a laser.
It is estimated that 20% of the population gets recurrent cold sores, fever blisters or apthous ulcers. Those “little buggers” hurt for days and if they occur on or around the lips, they are ugly. With the DELight Laser, we can stop the pain immediately and it usually doesn’t return. The sore then heals within a day or two. You don’t even have to be numb to treat the canker sore.
Dr. Warman believes that prevention is the best way to maintain oral health. He and his staff make every effort to explain all treatment options so you, the patient, can make a truly informed decision about your care. We take the time to fully answer all your questions. With the aid of video cameras and computer graphics you will be able to see what is occurring in your mouth.
copyright ©2005 Dr. Robert Warman, DDS