Patients' perception of lasers in dentistry

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Replacement of the dental handpiece (drill) has been of great interest in dentistry because of the overwhelming fear by patients to this method of tooth preparation. The driving force to find a replacement seems to be the undocumented requests of dental patients. Patients' perception of lasers and their ability to make a visit to the dentist easier is the focus of this study.

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS

Surveys were given to 100 patients that questioned their perception of lasers.

RESULTS

The survey showed that 69% of the responding patients thought that lasers would make their visit to the dentist easier.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that dental patients' perception of the laser is positive, and patients feel that lasers can make their visit to the dentist less traumatic.

The effect of lasers on dental hard tissues

There is a quest to find a method to remove diseased and healthy dental hard tissues without the negative stimuli associated with dental handpieces. Today, lasers are being considered as a potential replacement. This report evaluates effects of three lasers on dentin and pulpal tissues. The Er:YAG laser appears to have a lesser thermal effect.

Evaluation of thermal cooling mechanisms for laser application to teeth

Experimental cooling methods for the prevention of thermal damage to dental pulp during laser application to teeth were compared to conventional treatment in vitro. Pulp temperature measurements were made via electrical thermistors implanted within the pulp chambers of extracted human third molar teeth. Experimental treatments consisted of lasing without cooling, lasing with cooling, laser pulsing, and high-speed dental rotary drilling. Comparisons of pulp temperature elevation measurements for each group demonstrated that cooling by an air and water spray during lasing significantly reduced heat transfer to dental pulp. Laser exposures followed by an air and water spray resulted in pulp temperature changes comparable to conventional treatment by drilling. Cooling by an air water spray with evacuation appears to be an effective method for the prevention of thermal damage to vital teeth following laser exposure.

Removal of benign intraoral masses using the CO2 laser

Benign soft tissue lesions of the mouth can be removed using the CO2 laser. This type of laser surgery is faster and offers less postoperative complication as compared with conventional surgery and electrosurgery. Presently, the CO2 laser can be used for intraoral biopsy of benign masses, gingivectomies, and frenectomies.