The latest use of laser in dentistry has revolutionized the world of medicine with its advantages and benefits, which has opened new horizons for dental treatment, and its applications are developing rapidly, so what is the dental laser?
What are its features and benefits?
What are the most important developments that occurred to him?
What are the potential risks of using it?
Will it become an essential component of most dental clinics and centers in the future?
Al-Jazeera Net met some specialists to answer these and other questions in the following:
What is a dental laser?
Dr. Aya Al-Asmar, a conservative therapist and associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Jordan, says that the laser is light amplification by induced radiation emission, and its idea relies on specific light waves, which gather at one point with high thermal energy, emitted in the form of rapid flashes.
She added - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that its use began for the first time in medicine and dentistry in 1960 and 1965, but the first laser device that was manufactured specifically for use in dentistry was in 1990, as its uses in dentistry have evolved greatly over time.
What are the uses of lasers in dentistry?
Dr. Al-Asmar indicated that the laser can be used for hard tissues (teeth), and it can also be used for soft tissues (gingival tissue). The effectiveness of the chemicals used for bleaching.
She added that because the laser cuts tissue, it can be used to remove tumors inside the oral cavity or to obtain a biopsy of soft tissues from the oral cavity. Various germs and bacteria, in addition to treating various oral ulcers and relieving their pain.
Dr. Aya Al-Asmar: The laser can be used for hard tissues (teeth) and it can also be used for soft tissues (Al-Jazeera)
What are the advantages of using a laser?
And the uses of lasers in dentistry have great advantages, according to Dr. Al-Asmar, such as the possibility of using it for patients who suffer from cases of extreme fear or phobia of the dentist and the tools (drills in particular) used during treatment, and the operations in which the laser is used are - due to the accuracy of the area that is used. The doctor works on it - faster recovery and healing than the cases in which traditional surgery is used.
Among the advantages, according to the same spokeswoman, is that the bleeding is less during and after the operation, because the laser works to close the blood vessels and coagulate them during the cutting of the gingival tissue during the surgery, which contributes to reducing the side complications of the operation, such as bleeding, swelling and pain, in addition to the pain. be less.
Why are lasers not widely used?
Dr. Aya Al-Asmar believes that the use of lasers is not widespread, because the cases in which it can be used are still limited, so "we still need to resort to traditional methods of treatment in many cases, in addition to the fact that lasers are generally expensive," and therefore she It adds an additional cost to the patient when used in his treatment.
Is the use of laser safe?
The use of the laser is safe - according to Dr. Aya Al-Asmar - but of course for those who are expert in how and why it is used, with the need to always protect the eyes of the doctor, the patient and the assistant from light waves at each use, and the need to follow the instructions for using the device accurately and carefully, as well as adhere to the designated treatment area, so as not to The laser damages the tissue surrounding the tissue or the place to be treated.
Different types of lasers depend on the light waves used and their lengths (Shutterstock)
What are the types of lasers?
Dr. Al-Asmar said that the types of lasers are different, and they depend on the light waves used in them and their lengths, and on its condition, whether it is solid or gas, and each type has its own characteristics, advantages and limitations, which make it suitable for certain cases and not others, according to the therapeutic need and the type of treated tissue and its components.
This is because the interaction of the laser with the treated surface varies greatly according to the type of laser and its characteristics, the type of the treated surface and its components, how they interact with each other, and the pathological condition to be treated or the result to be obtained.
She added that with the development of science and the development of our knowledge of the mechanism of laser action, and the development of research in this field, scientists have concluded that lasers at different wavelengths and different energy levels give the opposite result, meaning that the laser at high energy levels kills cells, while the cells themselves if exposed to the laser are at Low energy levels are stimulated.
What is a low energy laser?
Dr. Al-Asmar confirmed that today's laser, especially the low-energy laser that science has proven to work on cell proliferation and spread, is being studied and the standards by which laser use can be precisely regulated in the treatment of various medical conditions, including dentistry.
And she continued that, by virtue of her being a conservative therapist consultant and associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Jordan, through cooperation with the Stem Cell Center at the University of Jordan, she carried out research in this regard, by working on studying and determining the appropriate standards that should be used in low-energy lasers. .
The study came to stimulate stem cells extracted from the pulp of the teeth to multiply and spread to replace the lost parts of the tooth due to necrosis and decay naturally, without the need to resort to fillings and external materials.
Lasers are used to drill teeth and remove caries from them, in addition to operations on the gums and soft tissues in the mouth (Shutterstock)
What are the benefits of laser in dentistry?
The Jordanian dentist and expert in laser technologies, Dr. Omar Zuaiter, confirmed - to Al-Jazeera Net - that laser beams are used to drill teeth and remove caries from them, in addition to operations on the gums and soft tissues in the mouth, such as removing tumors. For pain-transmitting nerves, and the absorption of laser radiation is greater in decayed tissues compared to healthy dental tissues, which means more accurate surgery, and moreover, it kills germs, and leaves surfaces cleaner.
He also mentioned that the laser reduces the occurrence of inflammation, swelling and pain after surgery, which means an easier and faster recovery for the patient, and that is why it is commonly used in the field of gum and soft tissue surgery compared to dental drilling.
What are the applications of lasers in dentistry?
Dr. Zuaiter indicated that the laser has multiple spectra with different applications, some of which are used to diagnose caries and cracks in the teeth, and others are used to strengthen tooth surfaces and make them more resistant to caries acids, and there are spectra used to whiten teeth as well.
Despite its many benefits, the question remains - according to Dr. Zaiter - why is laser not widely adopted in dental clinics due to its many advantages?
He attributed this to the high cost of the devices, the different types of laser spectra, and the inability of laser beams in general to penetrate all types of multiple materials used in fillings and fixtures, and for this - until now - the laser beam is not an effective alternative to the traditional drill used in dentistry.
What are the latest developments in the use of lasers in dentistry?
Zaiter pointed out that recent years have witnessed a steady development in laser technologies and their additional uses in dentistry, in addition to a rapid decrease in their cost, and one of the developments is the brightness of the ultrashort laser - called "Ultra short femtosecond laser" - as it can penetrate all types of lasers. Materials used in fillings and dentures, and this unique type does not even need water spray to cool the tooth while drilling, as follow-up studies have shown.
Dr. Zaiter: Recent years have witnessed a steady development in laser technologies and their uses in dentistry (Al-Jazeera)
There are also vigorous attempts to integrate this laser with automatic control through a miniature tool, which is located inside the mouth and is managed by the dentist via a computer, which will lead to a boom in dentistry and open new horizons for ultra-accurate and rapid treatment, without the need for annoying drills and needles. Painful anesthesia and noxious splashes of water.
On the other hand, Dr. Zaiter indicated that the applications of the "low-level laser" accelerate recovery after surgeries, reduce toothache and masticatory muscle spasms, leading to anesthesia of the teeth instead of using needles for this purpose.
Will the laser become an essential component of dental clinics?
Dr. Zaiter said, "I am not exaggerating. If laser development continues at this pace, I expect lasers to become an essential component of most dental clinics and centers over the next ten years, and that drills, anesthesia needles, and water sprays will become something of an unfortunate past."