At Paige Prather Smiles, we go above and beyond to incorporate the latest dental techniques and technologies into our practice in order to ensure every patient receives the highest quality of dental care. While lasers may sound like something out of science fiction, that word is actually just an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and they’ve been used in the dental and medical field for several decades. Lasers use light energy to precisely remove damaged or unwanted soft tissue. One of Dr. Paige Prather’s area of specialization is the treatment of infants and children who suffer from lip and tongue tie. This is one of the most common uses for our high tech dental lasers. Our office uses three high tech lasers:
- CO2 Laser
- Diode Laser
- Erbium YAG Laser
Our CO2 laser is a fast solution for removing and reshaping any soft tissue while reducing bleeding and discomfort during treatment and healing time following a procedure. To remove or reshape darker tissue, the diode laser may be a better option. Finally, the Erbium YAG laser allows us to treat both soft and hard tissue. This means Dr. Prather can remove dental tooth structure before placing a filling, crown, or other restoration without the use of a drill in many cases.
LASERS MAKE TREATING INFANT FRENECTOMIES MORE SUCCESSFUL
Dr. Prather has a passion for helping infants and children suffering from lip or tongue tie, and she devotes a great deal of time outside the office to helping nursing mothers who are struggling due to this unfortunate oral health concern. In the past, traditional scalpel and suture procedures could be very painful and upsetting for children. By using dental lasers to perform frenectomies, we significantly reduce pain and bleeding during the procedure. Additionally, there is very little discomfort following treatment, and kids are able to more quickly resume their daily activities. In order to allow children to speak, eat, smile, laugh, or yawn without restriction. Dr. Prather can remove a small amount of the frenum to reposition the connection allowing for unrestricted movement.
RESHAPE YOUR SMILE WITH LASER DENTISTRY PRECISION
Another use for our state-of-the-art soft tissue laser is gum recontouring. Lasers give us the ability to safely and comfortably reshape the gum line making smiles look even and teeth appear a more uniform size and shape. If you think your smile looks “gummy” or teeth look “stubby” this may be due to gum tissue that extends too far onto the front facing surfaces of teeth. In addition to a less than ideal appearance, gummy smiles may also be more difficult to clean and more prone to gum disease.
Laser gum recontouring allows Dr. Prather to quickly and painlessly remove and reshape excess gum tissue giving patients a flawless smile. Following gum recontouring, patients will likely need just a few days to recuperate. Because we use lasers, the treatment area is much less likely to become infected, and in most cases, the site heals much more quickly. Typically, the only side effects of laser gum recontouring is just a few days of inflamed or sensitive tissue. In rare cases, patients may experience discomfort that makes chewing, brushing, and flossing uncomfortable, but in most cases, little to no pain is reported.
OTHER USES FOR LASER DENTISTRY
In addition to frenectomy and gum recontouring, we may also use our dental laser to perform a wide array of restorative services including:
- Gathering suspect tissue for oral cancer testing
- Removal of overgrown tissue
- Removal of dark or discolored soft tissue
- Pain relieving cold sore treatments
- Decrease dental sensitivity following gum recession
- Removal of excess bacteria at and below the gums
- Removal of cavities
Does Laser Dentistry's less invasive approach seem like a fit for you or your family? If so,
call us at (615) 771-2151 or request an appointment below.
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