The sound of drilling on teeth… the fear of the needle before a procedure… the dreaded root canal. Ask most people why they hate the dentist and you’ll probably get one of those answers. Many people avoid the dentist for years just to avoid any of these discomforts. So could the field of dentistry change? Is there a way to reverse the decay process?
According to recent research posted in the journal of Science Translation Medicine, lasers could regrow tooth structure.
Yes, lasers are gaining widespread use in the dental world! They work by delivering energy in the form of light and can be used to cut or vaporize hard and soft tissue. Lasers are popular because they can reduce pain and anxiety experienced by patients, minimize bleeding and postoperative swelling, and serve as a means of disinfection. Currently, dental lasers are being used for a multitude of purposes, including cavity detection, tooth preparation prior to restoration, gingivectomies (crown lengthening, tissue contouring and frenectomies), cold sore reduction, nerve regeneration, tooth whitening and even the treatment of TMD.
