Laser Applications in Dentistry

Lasers are used in many areas of oral and dental health and aesthetics. In many areas such as fillings, root canal treatments, gum aesthetics, implant surgery and orthodontics, lasers can provide very comfortable and successful treatments.

What is Laser?

Laser is a concentrated and non-ionizing light, so it can be processed without accumulating in the tissues and without causing any damage to the tissues. Procedures performed with laser beams can be performed without causing heating in the tissues, while maintaining the necessary disinfection and cell viability. In addition, since the procedures can be performed without touching, comfortable and painless treatment is provided by working without any pressure or vibration sensation.

How Are Lasers Used in Dentistry?

In dentistry, lasers can be safely applied in special dental units where special eye protection equipment and laser devices are installed after the necessary isolation in the clinical environment is provided. Almost all standard procedures in dentistry can be performed painlessly and without complications using lasers.

Who Can Benefit from Laser Applications in Dentistry?

Laser is a concentrated and non-ionizing light, so it can be processed without accumulating in the tissues and without causing any damage to the tissues, and at the same time, they do not cause heating in the tissues. Due to these advantages, lasers can be used safely on all people, including pregnant women and children.

What Procedures Can Be Performed with Lasers in Dentistry?

Laser Use in Orthodontics

By using lasers together with orthodontic treatments that eliminate crookedness and positional disorders, correction of tooth movements can be done in a much shorter time thanks to the biological growth of the teeth.

Dental irregularities can be solved with braces or plaque can be removed with a laser.

Low-level laser activation, surgical interventions without pain and without the need for any treatment, shortening the treatment time.

Laser in Accelerated Orthodontic Treatments

Laser beams trigger cell renewal, thus accelerating tooth movements in orthodontics and shortening treatment times. Laser applications specially adjusted for orthodontic treatments trigger cell mobility and renewal, thus enabling the preservation and development of jaw relationships, elimination of dental misalignments, and quick dissolution of impacted teeth. Due to these positive effects of lasers that can be applied at any age, orthodontic treatment times are considerably shortened.

Laser in Implant Treatment

During surgical procedures, advantages such as pain and bleeding control and tissue disinfection of lasers are used in the positioning of implants, procedures performed on soft tissues, infection control around the implant and bone alignment.

Laser in Snoring Treatment

Over the years, complaints of snoring during sleep increase due to the decrease in the tightness of the soft tissues in the mouth and nasopharynx. Laser is a good treatment alternative in the treatment of snoring, where many treatment options are possible. Since the tissues are tightened with laser beams in snoring treatments, successful results can be achieved in a very short time without the need for surgical procedures.

Laser Treatments in Pediatric Dentistry

In pediatric dentistry, procedures can be performed easily due to the reduced need for anesthesia and the absence of vibration and pressure sensations. Lasers have many uses in pediatric dentistry, both in hard and soft tissues. Since there is no contact with the teeth during treatment, children’s fear of the dentist during the procedure can be reduced. The areas of use of lasers in pediatric dentistry include the assessment of tooth vitality, diagnosis of caries, removal of caries, disinfection in root canal treatments, tissue stimulation and soft tissue surgeries.

Laser Treatment in Periodontal Diseases

As an alternative to classical surgical applications in periodontal diseases, all periodontal operations can be performed with lasers. Since there is almost no bleeding during surgical applications performed with lasers, discomforts such as swelling and bruising are reduced, and a faster and better recovery is observed. Thanks to the effective disinfection properties of lasers, periodontal treatments are completed much more safely and healthily. In addition, pain complications that may occur after dental procedures can be prevented with laser applications immediately after the procedure.

Laser in Pink Aesthetics

Lasers allow for the design of a smile with rosy aesthetics, as procedures such as shaping the gums or increasing the visibility of the teeth, limiting the visibility of the gums are performed painlessly and without bleeding, and complaints such as pain and swelling after the procedure are very minimal.

Laser in Smile Design

In the positioning of leaf porcelains used in smile design, where prosthetic procedures meet pink aesthetics, ensuring their integrity with the teeth and disinfection processes, all applications can be done in a very short time, painlessly and without bleeding with lasers. The arrangements made in dental prostheses can be applied without damaging the prosthesis and thus more aesthetic results can be obtained.

Laser teeth whitening

Recent advances in laser-assisted teeth whitening make it easier, faster and more conservative for patients to achieve whiter teeth.

Laser teeth whitening principle In clinical provisions, there must be a laser device and teeth whitening gel suitable for the laser whitening system. While teeth whitening in classic mode takes 40-60 minutes; laser whitening takes 4-6 minutes.

However, photoactivation with LED/laser widens the teeth whitening holes, thus using lower positioning planning peroxide-based agents. In microstructural evaluations, enamel microhardness is not damaged.

Laser for Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is often caused by the exposure of dentin, the layer beneath the tooth enamel. Dentinal tubules have a diameter of approximately 0.5 μm on the tooth surface and are normally protected by the enamel layer. When attached gingival dentin is exposed by gum recession, these tubules are exposed and tooth sensitivity occurs as a result. Laser applications aim to block the tubules in the dentin, thus eliminating sensitivity. Lasers such as Nd:YAG, CO2 and Er:YAG work by blocking the dentinal tubules. Low-level lasers affect nerve activity and provide relief.

Laser in Canker Sore and Cold Sore Treatment

In the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores), major or minor aphthae, laser application ensures rapid inactivation of the viruses in the area. In this way, the pain disappears immediately.

It removes the upper layer of the skin or oral mucosa in the same area and thus provides rapid renewal. Studies show that cold sores do not reoccur in the same area in areas treated with laser. Laser application in the treatment of cold sores or aphthae does not require anesthesia, it is a painless procedure. There is no need to use antiviral creams because laser application allows the cold sore to heal in a single session. It also prevents the spread of cold sores or aphthae.

Laser in Laminate Coating Removal

Strong cementation materials are used to bond veneers to tooth surfaces. Therefore, removing veneers with traditional rotary instrument systems can be a long and difficult process.

It is possible to remove the laminate in a short time of 1-2 minutes without damaging the tooth surface with laser. The applied laser light passes through the laminate and reaches the adhesive material and separates it from the surface without damaging the tooth or the laminate. In cases where the cementation material changes color, the laminate can be removed with laser and the same laminate can be cemented (glued) again.

Root Canal Treatment with Laser

Root canal treatment is aimed at eliminating infection in the tooth root and root tip. In root canal treatment, laser is very effective in providing both intra-canal and root tip disinfection. Studies show that laser-assisted root canal treatments have a higher success rate than normal treatment methods. In addition, laser provides biomodulation and has a very positive effect on pain and swelling control.

TMJ Laser Treatment

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) causes pain and jaw dysfunction in some patients, sometimes these symptoms can be very severe. Most facial pain is actually caused by disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) because the pain can radiate to the neck and affect the muscles and ligaments in the face. Patients often suffer from frequent headaches caused by inflammation of the muscles used to open and close the mouth.

Laser therapy uses photons of light (energy) to penetrate deeply into the tissues surrounding the temporomandibular joint, as well as into the joint itself.

TMJ laser therapy is used to relieve pain, inflammation, and swelling in the jaw and surrounding muscles using a process called “photobiomodulation.” It heals the joint area by regenerating cells in this area.

In laser jaw joint treatment:

Cellular metabolism

DNA production

Cellular replication

Damaged cells are replaced, renewed and repaired.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) increases blood flow to damaged joints and jaw muscles to reduce cellular waste. This is called “angiogenesis” and “neovascularization,” and refers to the formation of new capillaries and other blood vessels necessary for healing and restoring proper function.