FAQs
Table of Contents
- What is a Laser?
- How does the Laser work?
- Why is there virtually no pain from laser surgery?
- What is involved in laser periodontal surgery?
- What is required after Laser surgery?
- How long does Laser surgery take?
- Can the Laser be used for other things?
- What is a periodontal pocket?
What is a Laser?
Laser stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation."
A laser beam is a beam of light energy, which has the ability to interact with target substances according to the individual wavelength of that laser. It is typically one color, highly focused and directional, organized coherent energy. The different wavelengths of various lasers have varying degrees of absorption into the various components of hard and soft tissue. Our laser is a Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064nm.
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How does the Laser work?
The target tissue absorbs laser energy resulting in a highly localized conversion to heat. This is called the photothermal reaction. Our laser is specifically designed to remove just a few cells from the wall of a periodontal pocket and to target the bacteria present in this pocket. The bacteria are virtually vaporized while the adjacent tooth tissue and gum tissue remains unharmed.
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Why is there virtually no pain from laser surgery?
The body responds to insults by producing proteins that act as chemical mediators of pain. The proteins are denatured by the laser energy, rendering them inactive so the transmission of pain is not possible. Also, since all bacteria in the area are destroyed, there is no longer any reason for pain or inflammation.
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What is involved in laser periodontal surgery?
We first begin by administering local anesthesia to minimize any possible discomfort during the procedure. The laser light is the directed at the pocket around the tooth working from the top to the bottom of the pocket. This process removes the lining of the pocket to remove diseased tissue and it is also sterilizing the area. We then use various instruments to make sure that the root surface of the tooth is as clean as possible. The laser setting is then changed and this time beginning at the bottom of the pocket, the laser light is moved until it exits the pocket. This step sterilizes the area and creates a blood clot in the pocket. This clot acts a Band-Aid, which prevents bacteria from re-entering the pocket around the tooth. The final step is to relieve any bite interference’s that might be present. Trauma from bite interferences is detrimental to healing of the tissue around the tooth.
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What is required after Laser surgery?
Post-surgical instruction is relatively simple. The patient will be placed on antibiotics to minimize the level of bacteria present in the mouth. Peridex, an antimicrobial rinse, is also prescribed to help keep the area clean. The patient is not allowed to brush the surgical area for at least 1 week to ten days. This is extremely important in that if the patient does brush the site, the clot will be disrupted and bleeding will occur and bacteria will be able to enter the pocket again preventing healing from occurring. A one-week post-op visit will be scheduled to evaluate healing.
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How long does Laser surgery take?
Typically it takes between 50 minutes to one hour to perform laser surgery in ¼ of the mouth (one quadrant).
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Can the Laser be used for other things?
Yes our laser does have many other uses. We can sterilize root canals during treatment, sterilize teeth after removing decay, trough around crown preparations instead of packing cord, cold sores and ulceration’s and others.
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What is a periodontal pocket?
Around each tooth is an area in health we call a sulcus. It is a small gap between the tooth and gum. If bacteria are allowed to remain in the sulcus, the byproducts of the bacteria begin to enter the gum tissue and eventually the bone supporting the tooth. At this point the bone begins to resorb making the sulcus around the tooth to become deeper. If you can think of a turtleneck around your neck then stick your finger between the turtleneck and you neck, this is the sulcus. When this area becomes unhealthy (area bleeds when probed and is greater than 3mm in depth, it is then called a periodontal pocket
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