Lasers & Teeth In A Day

Dental Lasers:

We live in a world where technology is progressing faster than ever. People are always looking for the latest and greatest. This statement holds true for dentistry as well. A good deal of the new products being heavily advertised to consumers of dentistry are dental laser therapy and dental implant treatment in one day.

 

 

Lasers are used more and more in medicine and dentistry today. They allow the clinician to accurately and cleanly cut both hard and soft tissues. This technology can be very useful in diagnosis and treatment of dental cavities as well as certain minor gum treatments. You may have even heard advertisements lately about laser treatment for periodontal disease. Unfortunately, at this point, these treatments are still completely experimental and unproven. To date, no published evidence has shown any benefit of lasers when compared to traditional periodontal cleanings.

In fact, two of the largest and most influential dental academies in the country, The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), have recently released official statements discrediting the advertised benefits of periodontal laser therapy. If you are interested in reading these statements, follow the links below:

Statement from the ADA regarding lasers in dentistry: ADA & Lasers

Statement from the AAP regarding lasers in dentistry: AAP & Lasers

At Poulos & Somers, we are committed to staying current with the newest dental technology available. That being said, we are very careful not to move too quickly, before something has been adequately tested and proven safe and effective. Unfortunately, lasers for periodontal therapy are not there yet. However, we are keeping very close tabs on the lasers currently in development and testing, and look forward to the day when this technology becomes a part of our practice!

Teeth in a Day:

Teeth in a day is a concept which has gained a tremendous amount of attention in the media recently. You may have heard some companies advertising complete dental implant treatment with teeth the same day and no bone grafting. The good news is they aren’t lying! 3-D imaging and advances in surgical techniques now allow us to place dental implants and provisionalize them in the same day. This means that a temporary tooth (or teeth) can be placed on the dental implants the same day as surgery. A permanent tooth (or teeth) will be placed a few months later when everything has healed. The bad news, is that this kind of treatment can only be accomplished in certain cases and is not possible with all patients. If you are interested in seeing if teeth in a day is for you, ask one of our doctors at your next visit to Poulos & Somers.