What is the deal with lasers in dentistry? What kind of laser are we talking about? How can a laser be helpful with my orthodontic treatment?

The word LASER is an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” Lasers have been becoming increasingly popular in dentistry today. Many of the soft tissue procedures in dentistry that used to require more cumbersome and complex surgical procedures can now be completed more simply, quickly and less painfully with a diode laser. The diode laser is a small, low-intensity laser that operates in a wavelength that only targets (or is absorbed by) soft tissue (like gums). The laser energy has no effect and is safe for hard tissue like teeth and bone. This makes a very nice tool for working on a patient’s gingivae (gums).

This is the diode laser that we use at Bruner Orthodontics:

One of the things that routinely lengthens the time it takes for orthodontic treatment is waiting for teeth to erupt. Some of the teeth that are most often delayed in their eruption are the canines and pre-molars. When orthodontists are waiting for impacted teeth to erupt treatment can take 6 to 12 months longer than expected!! The laser allows us to expose the tooth, immediately place the bracket on the tooth, and begin moving the tooth into place. This helps to keep treatment times as short as possible.

Here is the typical laser sequence we see at Bruner Orthodontics:

1. A tooth that is delayed in its eruption.

Waiting for an upper right cuspid

2. Immediately after using the laser to expose the tooth, we placed the bracket:

Laser exposure of the cuspid and immediate placement of the bracket

3. By the next appointment you can see the change in the position of the previously impacted tooth:

Looks great at the next appointment!

Here is one more example:

Waiting for the upper left canine to erupt

Laser exposure of the canine at Bruner Orthodontics followed by immediate bracket placement

By the next appointment the canine has come down into alignment!

At Bruner Orthodontics we are constantly looking for ways to improve our orthodontic treatment by providing you with great results in the shortest amount of time!