Benefits of Laser Therapy in Dental Hygiene

Our hygiene team at Sala Family Dentistry is so excited to share that we are now certified and able to offer laser therapy at your hygiene visits! There are so many applications of laser therapy in dentistry, but the few that we’ll be reviewing today that are of particular interest in hygiene are 1) laser bacterial reduction (LBR) 2) desensitization, and 3) laser-assisted periodontal therapy (LAPT).

How does the laser work? 

Laser therapy is conducted through a stimulated emission of amplified light. 

Laser bacterial reduction is essentially utilizing the laser on a low-level, pulsating energy setting to reduce the overall bacterial load in the mouth. The tip of the laser is placed just below the gum line and the entire mouth can be treated in about 3-5 minutes. This does not require local anesthetic and is actually quite painless for patients. This is a preventative measure and can aid in limiting the amount of excessive bacteria that accumulates below the gum line, resulting in less bleeding and inflammation of the gum tissue. 

Laser Therapy For Hypersensitivity

Laser therapy can also be used in areas where patients may experience hypersensitivity due to the presence of root exposure (gingival recession). The laser acts to dehydrate the tubules located within the dentin of the tooth (a layer of tooth that lies below the enamel). This procedure is typically done in conjunction with the topical placement of a fluoride varnish, and alleviation of symptoms are noticed by the patient almost immediately.

Laser-assisted periodontal therapy (LAPT) for Periodontal Disease

Lastly, we have laser-assisted periodontal therapy (LAPT). LAPT can be extremely helpful in managing deeper pocketing involved in patients who have active periodontal disease that is being treated. This differs from LBR in that the tip is placed to the depth of the periodontal pocket and is used to debride the diseased tissue following a “deeper cleaning” (scaling and root planing). Laser bacterial reduction can then be performed at subsequent periodontal maintenance appointments to continue to manage periodontal stability.

Visit Sala Family Dentistry in Reno, NV!

We are proud to be one of the only offices using this advanced laser technology to benefit our patients. If you would like to schedule your next appointment with us, call or book an appointment today!