Lasers are the latest and greatest in the field of Dentistry, and we here at Downtown Dental are very excited about the many benefits they provide to our patients. We have several types of lasers in our office to provide you with the best care and most comfort!
Downtown Dental is the first dentist office in Nashville to offer WaterLase iPlus Laser Dentistry, the most advanced and effective Laser Dentistry option in the world! This new technology allows Dr. Clark to offer injection-free, pain-free dentistry for many of our procedures including fillings, whitening, and gum disease prevention.
Why Laser Dentistry?
No more shots
No injections are needed, plus there is minimal swelling or bleeding involved in fillings, root canals, and gum surgery procedures. The procedures can also be completed faster than with the drill, since there is no time needed to wait for the anesthetic to fully take effect. Similar to using the laser for fillings, injections during deep cleanings are sometimes not required.
It’s safer for your mouth
The laser offers the highest level of patient safety available for the sensitive and vulnerable tissue of the tongue, cheek and lips. All procedures that utilize Laser Dentistry involve far less pain and the healing process takes much less time.
No More High-Pitched Drilling Noises
None of the loud noise, vibration, and pressure that is unavoidable with the use of dental drills.
It’s mindful of individual sensitivity
Even the most sensitive patient can benefit! If the procedure being performed is eligible for Laser Dentistry your individual level of sensitivity will not be a factor that prevents you from benefiting from the numbing effect of the laser. Not only does the lack of heat and pressure applied to the tooth diminish sensitivity, but the laser actually ‘turns-off’ the pain sensors in your teeth and mouth.
It keeps your teeth stronger
A laser allows more conservative tooth preparation, which means less solid and healthy tooth structure is removed during cavity removal, leaving the tooth stronger and giving your new restoration a better long-term prognosis.
It cleans your teeth better than regular treatments
The energy released kills bacteria embedded in gum tissue without harming tooth or bone. NOTHING can get your teeth cleaner than laser energy. Hear one patient’s story of Laser Bacteria Reduction (LBR) to treat gum infection.
It protects you from harmful bacteria
Since there is no need for a scalpel surgery is minimally invasive, causes little to no bleeding, and the tissue heals in less than half the time required for scalpel surgery. Less trauma to the gum tissue and less bleeding means less of a chance for harmful bacteria in the mouth to enter your bloodstream.
Laser Treatments for Cold Sores
Cold sores (herpetic lesions) are groups of small blisters around the mouth or on the lips that are caused by the herpes simplex virus. A break in the skin inside or around the mouth, gives the virus an entrance point into the body. Contact with infected body fluid allows the virus to spread. This can occur when sharing things like eating utensils or cups, razors or lip balm, or kissing or touching that person’s saliva. A well-meaning kiss from a parent to child is a common way that this virus spreads.
Cold sores will begin to heal on their own a few days after they appear and will usually go away within a week or two. Despite this, cold sores are often very painful, and treatment for that is available. Pills and ointments are commonly prescribed to lessen the uncomfortable symptoms and will help the sore to heal a day or two faster. Today, dental soft tissue lasers are available and are a much more effective treatment.
Avoiding cold sores is now possible! Laser treatment for cold sores is best done at the very onset of symptoms and can prevent the sore from occurring.
As soon as any of these symptoms present, call our office to schedule an appointment. Even if the sore is already there, laser treatment can provide relief from the discomfort of the sore and allow it to heal much faster.
The virus that causes cold sores cannot be cured. Once you have been infected, the virus will lie dormant in your body for the rest of your life and will resurface from time to time. Laser treatment can reduce the number and severity of future sores.
Multiple laser treatments may stop the sores from recurring in a particular spot.
Best of all: laser treatment of cold sores is affordable, relief is immediate, and treatment can even prevent sores if done early enough. The treatment takes only a few minutes and can be done without anesthesia. After treatment sores are less frequent and less severe.
Laser Gum Recontouring, or ‘Gum Reshaping’
Another minimally invasive way that Downtown Dental’s cosmetic team can improve your smile is through laser gum contouring or a “gum lift”. Gum contouring allows the patient to have longer, more sophisticated-looking teeth.
Lip & Tongue Tie Release
As the premier lip & tongue tie specialist in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Clark welcomes you to our practice and values your trust in him for this very important and delicate procedure.
Not all procedures are eligible for Laser Assisted Dentistry. To find out more about what Laser Dentistry can do for YOUR smile give us a call, or click below to schedule an appointment.