Laser Use in Dentistry

Abstract

Background: The term laser is an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation". The first laser was built in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman. In the last two decades, there have been many studies of various laser applications. In the dental practices, lasers have become a standard feature enhancing treatment in both hard and soft tissue. In the application of laser in hard tissues is used for the prevention of tooth decay, to whiten the teeth, remove fillings and cavities and prevent dentin hypersentivity for diagnostics. The application insoft tissues includes healing of wounds, removing the hyperplasia of gingiva, for uncovering retention and semiretention of teeth, as well as for fotostimulation of herpetic lesion. It is successfully used in parodontology and mucogingival surgery. With the help of a laser we practise gingivectomy, gingivoplasty, frenulectomy, excision andincision of tissues for biopsy and the therapy of periodontal pockets. Types of lasers: Nowadays, different types of lasers (with different types of wavelengths) are used in dentistry. Dental lasers emit light of a certain wavelength in the visible spectra (blue, green, red) or they emit invisible light. Conclusion: The application of lasers brings many advantages, replacing conventional procedures in dentistry. Laser has a huge positive contribution; operations on soft tissues enable working precisely with minimal or no bleeding. With surgical intervention on hard tissues no vibrations occur, we avoid high temperatures in preparation, prevent microscopic fractures of enamel or a formation of a smear layer which worsens the adhesion of the filling. Besides having antibacterial effects, the laser has proved to be a useful equipment to increase the effectivity, specification, simplicity and cost of dental treatment.

Keywords

• laser
• applications
• treatment
• dentistry