Vu Orthodontics - Orthodontist - Braces  & Invisalign

Soft-Tissue Lasers in Orthodontics

Introduction

Lasers have revolutionized both medical and dental fields.  A well-known application of medical laser for eyes is Lasik.  Soft-tissue and hard-tissue lasers are two different applications of dental lasers.  The most common soft-tissue laser in dentistry is diode laser.

Benefits of Soft-Tissue Laser

Soft-tissue laser is a precise and effective way to treat certain dental problems.  Here are some of the major benefits associated with the soft-tissue laser:

• No need for sutures (stitches)
• Hemostasis (stop bleeding)
• Minimize bacterial infections (laser beam sterilizes the affected area)
• Treatment of focus area, without damage to surrounding tissues
• Faster wound healing
• Access for bracket placement
• Gingivectomy
• Esthetic gingival recontouring - after braces removal
• Exposure of impacted/unerupted teeth
• Frenectomy
• Operculectomy
• Fiberotomy
• Fibroma removal
• Treatment of apthous ulcers and herpetic lesions

Example

The following is an example of a laser application in orthodontics. 

Case 1 14 y.o. female, laser surgical exposure and forced eruption of impacted upper left canine.

Without surgical exposure and forced eruption, there was practically very little progress with natural eruption of the upper left canine for nearly 2 years (not shown). With laser for surgical exposure, the bleeding was easily controled and the healing was fast (Figs. 1-2).

Fig. 1 Right after laser surgery: no bleeding

Fig. 2  Four days after laser surgery: fast healing