Laser and Dentistry: Soft Tissue Lasers

LASERS

The dentistry sector always undergoes updates and developments. The aim of these is to increase the comfort of patients, as well as providing them with painless, fast-healing surgery options. Although using anesthetic solutions makes painless treatments possible, dental treatments that do not intervene the course of their daily lives are the ultimate expectation of patients. Hence, through the developments in technology to answer such needs, the LASER has been introduced into the field of dentistry. The laser was developed following the theoretic studies of Basov, Prokhorov and Townes in 1960s. Laser is an acronym of these words:

Laser,

Amplification by,

Stimulated,

Emission of,

Radiation.

In this article, we will be discussing DIODE LASERS.

DIODE LASERS

Laser devices function according to their wavelengths and pulse counts. The studies that were also conducted in our country on diode lasers with a wavelength of 980 nm showed that these lasers support wound healing. They include a diode source of light, which is how they are different than Nd YAG lasers (Romans, G., Nentwig, GH.). The studies were conducted on diode laser devices with a wavelength of 980 nm and great benefits regarding wound healing were discovered.

Laser was found to accelerate wound healing on gums.

USING DIODE LASERS ORALLY

For the incision before removing embedded wisdom teeth,

To cut through puffy gums behind semi-embedded wisdom teeth,

To open flaps during an apical resection,

For the incision of the flap to be lifted for an implant operation,

During biopsy,

In frenectomy,

When the connector between the lower jaw and the tongue is restricting tongue movement, the incision effect of lasers is used. All these procedures could be undertaken without a laser device. It is not our aim to compare or point out superiorities, but to inform readers of the incision effect of diode lasers.

Diode lasers are also used to STIMULATE WOUND HEALING.

These wounds are:

Mucositis (encountered in 40% of patients undergoing chemotherapy),

The wounds during the surgery of fibromas occurring at the palate and following surgery,

Aphta and herpes,

Prosthetic dents.

Lasers are also used as complementary treatments and based on the decree of doctors to treat the thickening tissues following prosthetic dents,

To remove massive granuloma from gums and treat the wounds they cause,

To treat the leucoplasia on cheeks due to the chronic irritation of smoking, as well as the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, in addition to treating fungal lesions under prosthetics, as well as for their follow-up treatments,

To treat the thickened tissue on cheeks and at the corners of lips, again due to chronic irritation (habits such as lip-biting),

Likewise, to treat papilloma that occur on the tongue due to continuous chronic irritation.

In addition, they are used to heal the irritation delivered by the brackets in cheek tissues during orthodontic treatments.

Diode lasers are also used in procedures of DENTAL COSMETICS, as well as for the gingyvectomy procedure to treat the irregularity between gum levels (gum makeover).

For this procedure, Nd-YAG, CO2 and Er-YAG lasers may also be used. Diode lasers are not exclusive to such procedures.

Getting their teeth broken while their fillings are intact is a common thing for patients that have received root canal treatments. For the teeth where the crack extends to underneath the crown, the crown is lengthened and prepared for a crown construction procedure.

Diode lasers that help lengthen crowns may be used based on the decree of doctors while preparing the teeth for measurement by retracting teeth after the cutting of teeth,

To restore the broken incisors at the level of gums.

With its effect on ORAL MICROORGANISMS, diode lasers may be used following a gum treatment to disinfect gum pockets.

Diode lasers provide stimulation to heal the gum tissue, apart from providing disinfection on the regions that are inaccessible by a toothbrush and a dental floss between teeth, after the gum treatments for coated teeth.

HOW DO DIODE LASERS PROVIDE BIOSTIMULATION?

Introduced vigorously into the field of dentistry nowadays, diode lasers are used for their role as:

A support for wound healing,

An anti-inflammatory agent,

An analgesic agent,

A means to increase bone reaction.

RESOURCES

Akal ÜK. Karasu H, Sayan NB Oral kavitenin yumuşak doku tümörleri ve mukoza lezyonlarında CO2 lazerin kullanımının değerlendirilmesi T.Klin. Diş Hek. Bil. 2003.