BY RISHITA JAJU, D.D.S.
Waterlase is one of the only dental lasers that is biocompatible, protective of all tissues, and a multi-purpose laser that can be used for treating hard tissues such as teeth and bony structures, as well as soft tissues like gums, lips, tongue, and more.
Laser soothing and comfort for canker sores, frenectomy, mucocele removal, operculum removal for inflamed gingiva due to food impaction or infection, exposure of unerupted teeth, gingival recontouring, are all examples of other services that would not be possible without Waterlase in our practice.
Waterlase‘s gentle technology for removing dental decay ensures children will not be stressed or frightened during the treatment of dental cavities. The Waterlase helps desensitize the tooth and removes the decay. Patients do not have to experience the “shot,” a numb feeling, post-op lip biting, cheek biting, tongue biting, drooling, etc. that would be associated with a local anesthetic. Since we do not have to worry about the local anesthetic, we can complete treatment on multiple areas of the mouth safely and efficiently. This ultimately reduces the number of dental visits for the child and makes the overall dental experience so much more enjoyable – they want to keep coming back!
Infant oral Health:
Waterlase’s soft tissue capabilities allow for a biologically protective method of providing procedures such as frenectomies to our newborns, infants, toddlers, and children with special needs. Pediatricians, lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, chiropractors, speech pathologists, and feeding therapists have joined the ranks of our top referral sources. Families travel multiple hours and choose to come to our practice while passing hundreds of dentists on the way to take advantage of our expertise and Waterlase technology. Seeing mothers experience the joy of being able to breastfeed their infants and parents witnessing the happiness and satisfaction that a baby can experience after an efficient and effective feed due to the laser frenectomy procedure is priceless!
Patients with special needs:
In our practice, we have patients who have sensory issues and do not like the feeling of toothbrush bristles on their gums. This leads to cavities near their gum line. If we only offered “traditional” dentistry solutions to treat them, there would be a significant amount of bleeding around the gum tissue and this would prevent us from keeping that area isolated. Additionally, they are often afraid of vibrations and cannot tolerate the conventional ‘drill’ for their dental treatment as they feel overwhelmed and overstimulated. Waterlase allows for more conservative, gentle, and clinically excellent treatment outcomes especially in these cases that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.
Success during the Covid-19 Pandemic:
Our practice’s ability to treat a variety of patients and reduce the time, money, and resources spent on procedures has been key to our success during the Covid-19 pandemic time. Waterlase generates 98% less aerosols than high-speed handpieces and has allowed us to reduce time spent in the dental chair, resulting in more productivity and fewer visits. We can’t imagine not having our lasers as a part of our professional services. Parents seek out our practice due to the many benefits that the Waterlase provides for their children through word of mouth and referrals due to our practice’s excellent patient care. We take a more futuristic and minimally invasive approach to dentistry, and we would recommend BIOLASE dental lasers to anyone providing or seeking dental care.