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Randall LaFrom,
DDS |
WATERLASEhard and soft tissue laser |
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T
The Waterlase® uses HYDROKINETIC® technology to perform a variety of dental procedures, including cavity preparation, caries removal, tooth etching and a wide range of both hard and soft tissue (gum) procedures. The Waterlase® has been cleared for HARD & SOFT tissue procedures for both children and adults. It is a revolutionary new dental device that uses laser-energized water to cut teeth. BIOLASE received FDA clearance to market the Waterlase® system for use on hard tissue (teeth) on October 9, 1998. This combination of YSGG laser energy and water-spray creates "HYDROKINETIC" energy, and is a patented technology invented by BIOLASE scientists and engineers. What are benefits of the Waterlase® ? The Waterlase® significantly improves patients' comfort in the dentist's chair: 98.5% of patients treated with the Waterlase system reported no discomfort during the procedure in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted at the University of the Pacific. We have found that the majority of patients we have used the laser on have expressed more comfort, less anxiety, less bleeding, less swelling, needed fewer shots and had shorter healing times than similar treatments using other technologies (drills, scalpels, electrosurgery, etc.) in the past. Because it does not cause heat or vibration in the mouth, Waterlase® may ease the pain and anxiety of patients who fear the vibration and high-pitched whine of traditional drills. In contrast, the Waterlase® makes a gentle "tapping" noise. Heat and friction from a drill bit can cause unnecessary hairline cracking in a tooth while the dentist is drilling. For this reason, we will often either use the Waterlase and/or our air abrasion machine to clean out the edges of a cavity preparation instead of using a drill. Waterlase® uses a cool-water spray to cut teeth without generating heat or using pressure. Conventional drills can overheat teeth during procedures, inducing discomfort and irreversibly damaging the soft tissue or pulp underneath. Because of the pin point accuracy of the laser, it can be more conservatively used and thereby requiring less invasive tissue removal to perform the various procedures. Due to the fact that we can often do small restorations without numbing, we are able to combine procedures and thereby completing more procedures in less time and fewer visits for our patients. How does Waterlase® work? The Waterlase® system uses laser-energized water to cut teeth. The Waterlase® emits a laser beam that energizes a highly precise spray of air and water. Water droplets absorb the laser energy and become laser-energized water particles that, when directed at the tooth, rapidly remove enamel, dentin and decay/caries. What are some of the limitaions of the Waterlase® ? The Waterlase® system cannot be used to remove dental amalgam (mercury fillings) due to the vapor that would be created from the removal of the mercury in the teeth. Therefore, we still need to use the conventional drill to remove the metal restorations and porcelain crowns, but we can use the laser to clean up the remaining portion of the tooth structure under an old filling and conservatively prepare the surface for bonding of the new restoration. While the Waterlase® system is conservative, it is also slow in cutting the tooth structure on a new decay. Therefore, we may start the preparation with the drill and finish with the laser. The laser WILL however, cut through composite fillings and do small gumline restoration preparations very easily, conservatively and comfortably. In addition, it etches the surface of the tooth while it cuts making for a stronger bond strength to the final restorative material we are using resulting in longer lasting restorations.
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