ND:YAG Lasers
Laser technology has infiltrated every aspect of our daily life from going to the grocery store to having surgery. Some of the benefits of using laser technology, such as ND:YAG lasers, in the medical arena, is that it increases the healing process as well as being virtually painless for the patient in comparison to traditional methods. One area of the medical field that is incorporating laser technology increasingly is dentistry.
ND:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) Lasers was developed around 1964 by Bell Laboratories. The Medical Center Dental Group is at the forefront of a progressive dental practice, utilizing technologies such as ND:YAG lasers. This type of laser utilizes a crystal to emit a solid wavelength of light, small yet strong enough to be used on not only soft tissue, but also hard tissue as well. Using this laser also allows the dentist an increased visualization of the area being worked on to minimize the surrounding tissue, thus increasing the healing process.
This laser emits a red beam of light, allowing the doctor to have a clearer line of sight on the area being worked on, as well as releasing an accompanying stream of cool water or air to limit the possible damage from heat to the surrounding tissue. The heat that is released from the laser is the result of plasma (super-heated gas) that forms on the surface of the tissue being worked on. The cool water or air that is released protects the surrounding tissue from damage.
By using ND:YAG lasers it can also eliminate the need for anesthesia, in most cases, often this depends upon the duration, power levels used by the laser and complexity of the procedure being preformed. This laser can be used for a myriad of dental and cosmetic applications such as the treatment of, biopsies, dental implants, desensitizing exposed root structure, etching enamel and dentin, ulcers (cold sores) and smoothing out the wrinkles surrounding the mouth. ND:YAG lasers primary dental treatment advantages is for the use of treating and managing moderate to advanced periodontal disease (gum disease) without invasive surgery.
Moderate to advanced periodontal issues traditionally require surgery, which includes the removal of a large amount of gum tissue ending with the patient having severely cold sensitive long teeth. The Medical Dental Group of Houston prefers to use the effective non-surgical Laser Periodontal Therapy (LPT) technique, which retains as much healthy gum tissue as possible and maintains the gums height that surrounds the patient’s teeth. LPT combines the utilization of an ND:YAG laser with scaling and root planing. The LPT technique achieves the same outcome as traditional surgical periodontal treatment with a faster recovery time-frame and decrease in tooth sensitivity.
The potential with lasers of this type do not stop there. ND:YAG lasers are continually being tested by scientific and clinical trials. Some of the other possible future applications are for the treatment of cavities, dental adhesives and new endodontic treatments. Dental researchers are pursuing how safe and effective lasers are on hard tissue procedures.
For any questions related to cosmetic dentistry, you can contact us at 888.790.0309 or feel free to Ask the Dentist.
