Caries treatment is one of the most requested procedures performed by dentists. There are many ways to treat caries, but the unpleasant and frightening sound of a dental drill can cause tremors in even the bravest people. Therefore, in modern dentistry, the laser occupies an honorable place among the methods of caries treatment. Estet-portal will tell you more about the treatment of caries with a laser, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure in this article.
Today, lasers allow not only to drill teeth without the use of a drill. With their help, you can also perform various diagnostic measures and surgical operations in the oral cavity. Not so long ago, a new product appeared in the price lists of dental clinics – laser caries treatment.
The essence of the method
For the treatment of caries in dentistry, an erbium laser with electromagnetic radiation and a wavelength of 2.78 microns is used. Firstly, such radiation is characterized by low penetrating power, due to which deep heating does not threaten tooth tissues. Secondly, these electromagnetic oscillations are so actively absorbed by water molecules that they cause it to boil almost instantly. Since water is contained in all tissues of our body (12% is found in enamel, another 24% in dentin), with such an energetic boil, a continuous series of microexplosions occurs that literally tear the hard tissues of the tooth at the microscopic level. Then they are controlled and easily crumble in layers and are removed from the cavity together with the mouth with a jet of cooling water.
The benefits of laser caries treatmentPainlessness of manipulations. Subject to safety precautions, the use of the laser is absolutely painless and does not require the use of anesthetics. For people who are afraid of injections, this is a definite plus.
Comfort of treatment. The use of a laser eliminates the sounds of the drill and vibration, due to which the treatment becomes more pleasant for the patient.
However, the technique has its drawbacks, which, although not visible to the patient's eye, cause many problems for doctors in the process of dental treatment and affect the result of treatment.
Disadvantages of laser caries treatment
It is not possible to completely eliminate the use of a dental drill. The laser technique is suitable for removing enamel affected by caries. However, to remove carious dentin, laser treatment of caries is not enough - you still have to use a drill.
Cost of treatment. It is associated with the cost of the laser system and the expensive training that dentists and their assistants must receive. In addition, from a business point of view, all new items that appear on the market immediately always cost an order of magnitude more expensive than after some time.
Increased risk of fillings falling out. The high power of the laser, which can be adjusted only in the most expensive models, causes overheating of the hard tissues of the tooth, and as a result – poor fixation of filling materials in the cavities formed by the laser unit.
New equipment requires new knowledge. Due to the fact that lasers are only being introduced into dental clinics, mistakes by doctors are inevitable while gaining experience in use.
Difficulty in preparing tooth tissues. Wearing dark glasses impairs the visual view of the specialist and contributes to making mistakes when processing tooth tissues. For example, if a doctor accidentally opens the pulp chamber, instead of treating caries, he will also have to fill the root canals.
Proper oral care is the basis for the prevention of caries and periodontal disease. One of the most important reasons for the development of these pathologies – plaque and microorganisms that hide in it.
To avoid this, dentists recommend professional cleaning every six months:
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