What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Laser in Dentistry?
Advantages Compared to the traditional dental drill, lasers: • May cause less pain in some instances, reducing the need for anesthesia. • May reduce anxiety in patients uncomfortable with the use of the dental drill. • Minimize bleeding and swelling during soft tissue treatments. Disadvantages The disadvantages of lasers are that: • Lasers cannot be used on teeth that have silver fillings. • Lasers cannot be utilized for many commonly performed dental procedures. For example, traditional dental drills are much more effective than lasers when: 1) Doing cavities between teeth, 2) Working around old fillings, 3) Preparing a tooth for a crown, or 4) Prepping the teeth for a bridge. • A procedure that has been started with a laser may still have to be finished with a dental drill. Lasers are not very useful in situations where the dentist needs to shape a filling, adjust the bite, or polish a completed filling. • Lasers do not eliminate the need for anesthesia. • Laser treatment tends to be
