Dental Anxiety is a serious concern many people face when seeking dental treatment. This condition respects neither gender nor age and can vary in intensity throughout your life. Some dental patients experience this as a simple state of heightened Anxiety. In simple conversations about dentistry, others can be struck with a nearly paralyzing sense of dread. One consistent point mentioned when discussing dental Anxiety is the dental drill sound. For decades the rotary drill with its characteristic wine has been the foundation of many dental procedures. Modern dentistry has introduced the dental laser, making the rotary drill unnecessary.
The Effect of Laser Dentistry On Dental Anxiety
Dental lasers have become one of the foundation pieces for the medical industry in recent decades. Their introduction was in the realm of cosmetic dentistry, where they were used to improve whitening treatments. As the tool was further refined and developed, it became possible to start eliminating the rotary drill. This brought much relief to both dental patients and the providers as well. Rotary drills have always had a characteristic high-pitched whine that cut right to the bone due to being quite shrill. This sound was eliminated with the laser dental drill’s introduction and replaced with a gentle pulsing sound. This sound has been reported to be quite soothing by dental patients, even many of those with Dental Anxiety. Other benefits that arrived with the dental laser include:
- Precision Dentistry – While there were many improvements in the rotary drill over the years, it always suffered from a degree of imprecision. The dental laser is renowned for its ability to maintain a high degree of precision during treatment. Your dentist can vaporize even tiny areas of decay without impacting nearby healthy tissue.
- Rapid Recovery – Treatment with a dental laser comes with many benefits that aid recovery times. Removing gingival tissue is much less complex as it is instantly cauterized during treatment. Previously the gingival tissue would require stitches after removal with a scalpel. Removing this need improved recovery times significantly.
- Reduced Discomfort – The dental laser removes the need for anesthetic for many patients. Many treatments requiring some degree of sedation with the rotary drill can be performed painlessly with the dental laser.
- Quicker Procedures – Dental lasers make the performance of certain procedures take a significantly shorter amount of time. Lack of need for sedation, elimination of the need for stitches, and instant sealing of tissue treated with the dental laser make procedures go quite quickly.
Each of these factors contributes to an overall more pleasant dental experience for the patient and dentist alike. This also makes it possible for more patients to be seen in a day as it takes less time for them to be completed.
Ask Your Dental Provider For More About Laser Dentistry
Take your first steps by asking the dental provider if they currently use laser dentistry at their practice. They can tell what aspects of their practice use laser dentistry or when they plan to update. You may find that that treatment you’ve been dreading has been turned into a trivial experience with fast, painless results!
