Dental Drill vs Laser Dentistry: What’s the Difference?

Hate the idea of a dental drill?

justSMILE in Ramsgate Beach offers laser dentistry for patients who are looking for an appropriate and safe alternative.

Used as a method to not only ease anxiety about dental drills, laser dentistry can provide an alternative that has the ability to reduce the post-operative side effects such as discomfort and swelling that can be associated with dental drills.

How laser dentistry can help you

Laser dentistry can be used for a variety of different treatments. Often offering a more comfortable and precise treatment solution, our laser technology avoids the discomfort from heat and vibration that is generally associated with a dental drill.

Most commonly, laser dentistry is used for:

• Tooth restoration
• Root canal therapy
• Gummy smiles
• Periodontal (gum) disease

Depending on your required treatment, laser dentistry could be the more efficient and effective technique for your treatment needs.

Dental drill and the hard tissue laser – how the treatments differ

Traditionally for tooth restorations, a dental drill would most likely be used to carefully remove the decay and debris from the damaged tooth. This usually involves some vibrations which can cause the tooth’s natural structure to weaken. By using a dental laser instead, the decay is removed without uncomfortable vibrating and is even generally able to skip the need for numbing (unless requested).

Lasers are also able to reduce sensitivity for those with sensitive teeth and are the most efficient way of completely removing the bacteria from the tooth. Particularly this comes in handy for cases like root canal therapy – where the tooth is filled with infected pulp that requires removal. During the restoration process, the laser can also help the restoration to harden or “cure” further speeding up the treatment processing time.

The benefits of using a laser instead of a dental drill include:

• Reduced treatment time
• Fewer visits to the dentist
• No high pitched drilling noise
• Protection against tooth decay
• Treatment is more comfortable
• Generally no numbing required
• Less damage to tooth’s structure

Not only are lasers able to offer a more comfortable alternative to the dental drill, they can also help with a variety of soft tissue problems.

The benefits of a soft tissue laser

Lasers provide the most hygienic method of clearing away bacteria for patients with conditions such as periodontal disease and other bacterial infections that are residing in the soft tissues in the mouth.

A soft tissue laser is able to perform procedures with little to no bleeding as the technology both treats and seals the soft tissues – reducing the healing time for the patient.

Do you have a gummy smile?

A soft tissue laser can help with this cosmetic treatment as well! By combining dentofacial aesthetics and laser dentistry, we can contour your gums to reduce excess gum tissue virtually painlessly. The healing time is minimized due to the fact that the laser seals the tissues and the results are noticeable within the fortnight.

To find out more about how laser dentistry can provide you with a more comfortable treatment, take a look at our latest video below!

Sound like the right treatment for you? Book a consultation with Dr Rammo at justSMILE in Ramsgate Beach today.