The Benefits of Using Lasers to Treat Gum Disease

Lasers are put to a number of uses. With regards gum surgery, this treatment method is preferred as it has a number of benefits and advantages.

a) When lasers are used the surgeon does not require to cut into the gums using blades so that they can remove the diseased tissue. Using of blades involves cutting healthy tissue to reach the diseased tissue. This is not the case with lasers.

b) Laser technology helps in accessing all areas of the gums that need treatment. It does not affect the bones, teeth or even the healthy tissue. This is usually done by the differentiation of healthy and diseased gum tissue color.

c) As there are no blades and only diseased tissue is removed and treated, the pain and discomfort are lesser than other traditional methods of gum surgery.

d) The risk of complications is decreased as well as there are no blades used or other tissue which is affected. This means the recovery time is faster for the patient.

In addition to gum surgery, gum treatment also uses lasers for periodontitis. This is when various kinds of bacteria affect the gum. These bacteria are found in plaque that is usually collected on the gum line of the teeth. They then migrate following the root surfaces and they calcify there and produce tartar. This causes the inside lining of the gums to get ulcerated and inflamed. This if not treated in time can cause the periodontal tissues to be destroyed and this, in turn, causes the loss of the tooth.

Therefore, to arrest the disease, initial therapy is applied where the surfaces of the root are disinfected and cleaned and so healthy tissue can then grow in its place.

Traditional this consists of scaling or root debridement. This is done by hand instruments or sometimes even ultrasonic instruments could be used. This requires a lot of skill and a lot of time as well. This also consists of removing the pockets which are formed between the teeth and the gum tissue. However, this is not necessary as the tissues heal regardless of if the pocket lining is removed or not.

Laser Dentistry Dural technology replaces this therapy and gingival curettage is possible using it. It is also used to remove calculus as well as biofilm which is on the root surface. This, in fact, is a better method due to the following reasons:

a) There is minimal damage to the tissues and minimal swelling caused
b) There is much less bleeding
c) The area being treated gets sterilized
d) The post treatment discomfort is reduced
e) The patients are less scared and are more open for these procedures
These are some of the benefits of lasers for Gum Laser Treatment.

What are Periodontistry Procedures?

Problems with your teeth or gums that general dentists are unable to treat are referred to the periodontist. The periodontist is a specialist dental surgeon who specialises in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases relating to teeth and the gums. Additional, the periodontist is an expert at placement of dental implants.

A Periodontists offers a wide range of treatments including root planing (in which the infected surface of the root is cleaned), scaling, root surface debridement (in which damaged tissue is removed) and rectification of severe gum related problems.

Periodontal procedures includes a study of the patient's medial history to ensure there are no pre-existing medical conditions that might in any way affect or have a bearing on the patient's teeth and gums – especially heart disease, diabetes, and pregnancy.

Next, the periodontist examines the gums for signs of gum line recession, he assesses how the teeth fit together when biting, and also checks to see if any teeth are loose. The periodontist will also (usually) test for periodontal pockets by placing a probe between the gums; this helps the periodontist assess the health of the gums. Most periodontist will also X-ray the patients gums to determine the health of the bone below the gum line. All the information the periodontist so gathers has a bearing on the procedures he may have to perform next.

While your general dentist might clean your teeth by removing the accumulated plaque and tartar, periodontists performs a much deeper cleaning of the gums. In fact, regular scaling and planing is recommended as it provides a clean, smooth surface for the gums to reattach to the teeth and this can only be done by a periodontist.

If there are indications of severe gum diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis flap and periodontal pockets, the periodontist will recommend surgical procedures to correct these. During the surgery, the periodontist will lift back the gums and remove the tarter that might have accumulated under the gum line. Once the tarter is removed, he places the gums so that the tissue fits snugly around the tooth. While doing so, he also decreases the space between the gum and tooth. This clears out the periodontal pockets that tend to accumulate harmful bacteria that are also the cause of bad breath.

Some senior patients might exhibit bone destruction due to gum disease. You periodontist can regenerate the tissue which in turn will stimulate bone and gum tissue growth. Your periodontist might also place a mesh-like fabric between gum and the bone. This allows the bone and connective tissue to grow back without having to combat with the gums for space.

Preventative Dentistry specialists is especially effective in treating patients who have suffered injuries due to some accident. For example, the periodontist can perform soft tissue grafts that reinforce thin gums or perform bone grafts or even add synthetic bone to strengthen tissue and bone that might be damaged in an accident.

One of the leading Periodontal Laser Treatment clinics is the Integrity Dental Clinic at Sydney. Call them on +61 2 9686 7288 for all your oral and dental care or visit for a hassle-free appointment.

What Is Laser Dentistry and How Does it Work?

No matter what our age, the scariest part about visiting the dentist is the drilling. The smell of our teeth burning or being ground to dust and the dentist poking into our gums with some horrid looking stainless steel tools that looks like they have been procured from some medieval torture armoury.

It will there be a relief to people to know that more and more dentist's are switching over to laser technology powered tools and retiring the old drill machines.

So what is Laser Dentistry and how does it work?
Just as you would select a knife based on the cutting that needs to be done, so too there are different (three actually), types of lasers that are selected based on the type of work the dentist needs to do. The essential difference is in the strength of each laser with the strongest one used to cut harder stuff such as hard tissue.

In the hands of a highly skilled Periodontist, the laser is like a using microscopic flame to sculpt a wax statue. There's no drilling noise, there's no grating sensation inside your mouth nor the fear that the Periodontist might unintentionally cut something else.

If you are technically inclined, there are three types of laser used by the Periodontist these are; the Garnet Laser - used for cutting and coagulating dental soft tissues, with good hemostasis, and for nonsurgical sulcular debridement in periodontal disease control. The second type of laser is the Erbium Laser and is used for treatment of dental hard tissues. The third is the Diode Laser and it is used in procedures for aesthetic gingival re-contouring, exposure of soft tissue impacted teeth, soft tissue crown lengthening, removal of inflamed and hypertrophic tissue, photostimulation of the apthous, frenectomies, and herpetic lesions.

Now let us see how a laser works in the dental environment.
The pinpoint of strong light that is produced by the laser serves to elevate the temperature of the tiny area where the laser is pointed at and it produces photochemical effect the extent of which, depends on the water content of the tissue at that location.

When the laser is switched on, at approx 60°C the protein in the tissue begin to denature but this happens without vaporisation of the underlying tissue. If the temperature is further raised to 100°C, the water content in the tissue is vaporised (this is called ablation). What temperature is selected depends on the procedure to be done.

As mentioned earlier, the whole process is totally silent and so the patient is much more relaxed. The Laser Dentists in the meanwhile keeps talking and before you know it, the procedure is complete. Call Integrity Dental on +61 2 9686 7288 for all your oral and dental care or visit http://integritydental.com.au and book an hassle-free appointment.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dentals implants are supports that hold a tooth or cosmetic dental bridge in place. A dental implant is typically used when a person looses a tooth or teeth due to injury, periodontal disease or some other reason.

Examples of dental implants include:
1. Dental implants done when a single tooth is missing. The implant usually consists of one implant and a crown to replace the missing tooth.
2. Dental implants done when several teeth are missing. The treatment usually consists of implant-supported bridges to replace the missing teeth.
3. Dental implant is done when all the teeth need to be replaced. The treatment in this case consists of an implant-supported full denture or full bridge to create a new set of teeth.
4. Dental implant via sinus augmentation – sometimes an implant needs to be placed in the upper back jaw region. This is a difficult task for the periodontists (dental implant specialist) because that region has insufficient bone quantity and is also near the sinus region. The periodontists therefore carries out a procedure known as 'Sinus augmentation' to help raise the sinus floor and develop bone for the placement of dental implant in upper back jaw.
5. Dental implant when dental ridge is deformed or inadequate due to an accident or disease. In either case, there is inadequate bone for placement of dental implants. The solution is to lift the gum, expose the bone defect and fill it with bone or bone substitute to rebuild the ridge. Once the ridge is healed and the periodontists is happy with the results, the next step is the dental implant.

There two types of dental implants endosteal (in the bone) and, subperiosteal (on the bone). The former is more common and is generally used as an alternative for patients with bridges or removable dentures. Each endosteal implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth. A subperiosteal dental implant on the other hand, is placed on top of the jaw and is the preferred method of treatment for patients who are unable to wear conventional dentures and who have minimal bone height.

If you are told that you need a dental implant, make sure that your dentist is also a periodontists because a dental implant should only be handled by a periodontists – a dental experts who specialises in dental implants. If your dentist is not a periodontists, he will (and should), request a periodontists to join him during this minor surgery and together they will make your teeth perfect again.

After treatment, your dentist and periodontist will create a oral hygiene routine for you to follow and will also request periodic follow-up visits to monitor your implant, other teeth and gums. Teeth fitted over dental implants are just like natural teeth and require the same care as the other teeth.http://integritydental.com.au for more information on dental implants and scheduling a visit to a periodontist clinic.

What Is Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment?

Cosmetic dentistry is dentistry done to improve perfectness of our teeth. Not all of us are blessed with a perfect set of natural teeth and if you thought that film stars were, think again. Film stars are permanent cosmetic dentistry customers – their career often depends on that perfect set of teeth. So how do you go from having crooked teeth, teeth with gaps, yellowed teeth, to; teeth that are gleaming white and super-perfect in appearance? Read on.

The secret in two words is, Cosmetic Dentistry.
Most folks go to a dentist only when they have a tooth ache or suffer broken teeth in an accident. A visit to the dentist is for a “fix” rather than to enhance. Of course, cosmetic dentistry is not cheap but when you come face to face and speak with someone, don't you notice the teeth? Don't you say to yourself “wow, what a perfect set he/she has – wish mine were this good”?

Yes, you guessed correctly; Cosmetic Dentistry sets right the imperfect teeth – be it crooked teeth, yellowed teeth, broken teeth, teeth with holes and everything else in between. Cosmetic dentistry is about improving appearance and in reality, costs very little compared to other forms of cosmetic treatment such as straightening the nose or improving appearance of the ears or eyebrows or lips and so forth.

Technically there is very little to differentiate between 'normal' dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. For example, when you visit the dentist to have a tooth crown fitted or do a 'filling', this is actually a part of cosmetic dentistry. But lets look at some really cosmetic dental treatment – these include application of veneer to teeth, building teeth bridges, teeth straightening, teeth whitening, improving bite quality (resetting one or more teeth) and so forth. Cosmetic dentistry therefore, is dentistry done to improve perfectness of your teeth.

Lets look at two typical applications of cosmetic dentistry.
Dental Veneer – Dental Veneers are very thin slices of custom sized and shaped porcelain. The customisation allows the dental veneer to be placed precisely over the visible surface of your front teeth (dental veneers are only applied to front teeth).

Dental veneer is used to correct imperfectness of frontal teeth. So imperfections such as unusual or uneven gaps between front teeth, damaged front tooth, discoloured or unsightly teeth are all hidden by application of dental veneer. Dental veneer is not a correction – it is a covering to cover imperfectness.

Tooth-coloured filling – Unless you ask for it, a dental filling usually means filling a gap or hole in the tooth with a strong, long-lasting silvery-grey amalgam. Which is why you might have noticed your parents having several blackish spots in their teeth. Today, depending on which locality the dentist you visit is practising in, the dentist might (or might not) ask if you want the traditional filling (blackish-grey) or the new tooth-coloured filling. These modern-day tooth-coloured fillings are impossible to see by lay people.

Similarly, there are many other cosmetic dentistry applications. For more information, please visit: http://integritydental.com.au/