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Frequently Asked Questions
Laser Treatment in Dentistry | Date Posted: 12/1/2001
| Question
Will laser treatment mean I don't have to have the drill?
| Answer
The ADA is waiting for further research to be conducted before it formulates its policy on the use of laser treatment in dentistry.
Laser treatment is relatively new in dentistry and there are not many dentists in Australia who use this technique. Presently, its uses are normally restricted to soft-tissue procedures and the whitening or desensitising of some teeth. It remains to be seen whether laser treatment will have any more than a small place in cutting hard tissues such as teeth in the foreseeable future.
Patients should be wary of testimonials and media reports that imply drill-free, injection-free dentistry with lasers. Many of these procedures can be carried out equally as painlessly with existing technology. Although lasers remove tooth coloured filling materials easily, they are not recommended for the removal of old amalgam fillings because of workplace health issues with mercury vapour.
The ADA views the development of laser treatment in dentistry as promising. However, the ADA only considers these products to be useful for the removal of initial tooth decay and preparation of cavities in small to moderate-sized lesions in adult patients. The ADA is cautiously optimistic that future research will demonstrate that laser systems may prove useful for other restorative procedures involving deep cavities (i.e., hard tissue procedures close to the pulp chamber), in children, and for the removal of existing fillings.
The ADA is aware of laser systems under evaluation and believes laser technology to be a promising and rapidly changing field in dentistry. The ADA will review any relevant new information on the safety and clinical application of these evolving technologies as it becomes available.
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More questions in this category:
Will laser treatment mean I don't have to have the drill?
I want to find out which dentists use laser treatment — can you help me?
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