Laser Dentistry

Laser Dentistry

Laser dentistry is an FDA-approved treatment for patients with cavities, gum lesions, or tongue tie. At Happy Kids Dental, we understand that making the best decisions for your child’s oral health is important to you.

This is why we provide all the information on what you can expect from laser dentistry and how it could help treat your child’s oral issues. If you still have any questions, we recommend you contact your child’s

BENEFITS OF LASER THERAPY

There are several benefits to receiving a laser therapy dental treatment.

• Many laser treatments do not require anesthesia, and the recovery time is much quicker than with traditional treatment methods.
• Treatments are more comfortable.
• There is less potential chance of bacterial infection because laser treatments are so precise.

TWO TYPES OF LASER DENTISTRY

There are two different types of laser dentistry: hard tissue and soft tissue. Hard tissue includes treatments such as cavity detection, dental fillings, and tooth sensitivity improvements. Soft tissue treatments include gum reshaping, gum surgery, and muscle attachment improvements.

BIOPSY AND REMOVAL OF GUM LESIONS

If your child has a lesion in their mouth, we can use a laser to carefully remove a small piece of the tissue for testing. While most mouth lesions are benign, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If the lesion is causing your child pain or discomfort, we can excise it with dental laser treatment.

Pediatric dental lasers can also be used to remove mouth lesions. When a dentist uses a laser, it minimizes the amount of bleeding and swelling by cauterizing the wound as it cuts. Not only does this help pediatric patients recover faster, but it also can be considered less painful than traditional methods of gum lesion removal.

TONGUE-TIE TREATMENT

If you have noticed that your infant has a band of tissue connecting the tip of their tongue to the floor of their mouth, it is important to seek the advice of a pediatric dental professional as soon as possible. In some cases, tongue-tie may correct itself or improve by age three; however, this isn’t always the case. Leaving tongue-tie untreated can lead to difficulties with breastfeeding, eating solid foods, and normal speech development. To avoid any potential negative consequences, we recommend scheduling an appointment with a Grand Rapids pediatric dentist who has expertise in treating tongue-tie. Laser treatment is usually preferred by parents because the laser cauterizes the wound as it cuts the connective tissue, resulting in a shorter recovery period. Alternatively, the frenulum can be surgically cut.

The alternative to using a laser involves surgically cutting the frenulum. Laser treatment for tongue-tie, however, is often preferred by parents because the laser cauterizes the wound as it cuts the connective tissue, making for a shorter recovery period.