Patients of a certain age tend to visualize the Star Wars franchise, or a Pink Floyd concert experience whenever lasers are brought up. Regardless of your age or background, it is safe to say that the dentist’s office is probably not the first place you would expect to find lasers. However, at our forward-looking practice, we use multiple lasers at Dr. James C. Ross Family, Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry.

We have found that by embracing this kind of new technology, we can make it easier to help our patients achieve their smile goals in the realms of preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. Lasers really do allow for dental procedures to be more effective and less invasive for patients.

Keep reading to hear more about the ways in which we use dental lasers on a daily basis to help patients like you and your family get the high-quality dental care you deserve. When you are ready to take the next step, give us a call at 248-697-2487 to request your next dental appointment in Novi, MI.

Locating Cavities

After cavities have had enough time to take hold, they are obvious to pretty much everyone concerned. That’s because the teeth in question will take on a dark or yellow hue in certain spots. You may even have holes in your teeth if the tooth decay has eaten away enough of your enamel. No one is going to miss that kind of display.

But the real goal is to detect dental decay in the early stages, long before it becomes obvious to everyone. That’s precisely what we can now do with our DIAGNOdent laser. This tool is a core component of our cavity detection program.

Here’s the deal: the DIAGNOdent is a diode laser. In layman’s terms, we can use it to make readings across your teeth. The laser is able to detect subtle changes that are not apparent to the untrained eye. Truth be told, it can also catch things that even a well-trained eye would never uncover.

This tool is used to measure the way light reflects off your teeth. By using such tools we can find cavities much earlier than ever before. That means an easier and more cost-effective treatment plan can be carried out. Lasers can also help with that, as you are about to see.

Treating Dental Decay

We also use a specialized laser to help with restoring any teeth that have an area of dental decay present.

As it happens, we were the very first dental office in the state of Michigan to invest in a Biolase Erbium laser. This tool allows us to remove decay from teeth without using a drill and without having to use any anesthetic in conjunction with the procedure. It also makes root canals much more pleasant to sit through.

Restoring Gum Health

Fun fact: the Biolase laser also can be used on soft tissues. This makes it a great tool in treating gum disease and more.

In case you weren’t aware, the standard method for removing infected gum tissue sometimes involves surgery. That meant using a scalpel to cut into your gums to remove the infected tissue. Often, dentists are forced to remove some healthy tissue as well to make sure the infection was completely eradicated.

Afterwards, stitches were often necessary to seal the soft tissue so it could heal properly.

It was often an unpleasant though necessary process for patients to endure. That’s why the Biolase is such a big improvement.

With the Biolase, we can make infected tissue evaporate. At the same time, the laser seals the remaining tissue. That means less bleeding, shorter recovery times, and in many instances, no stitches.

Providing Smile Makeover Solutions

Lasers are changing the way we think about cosmetic dentistry too.

Some folks have what is commonly called a “gummy” smile. Gummy smiles can occur for a few reasons. You may simply have more gum tissue to start with than others.

Another reason is that some patients actually have shorter teeth. This happens when teeth erupt, but not quite as far as thay are supposed to.

Either way, you can end up with a higher gum to tooth ratio than you might be OK with. By using the Biolase, we can remove the excess gum tissue to either change how your lips cover your mouth or to reveal more of your teeth.

Call Today To Let Our Lasers Help Your Smile

As you can see, lasers are very much a part of modern dentistry. Sure, you could still go to a quaint dental office that’s still keeping the older methods alive. But we think you should come and see how the future is now at our office. Call Dr. James C Ross in Novi, MI today at 248-697-2487 or contact us online to request an easy appointment with laser dentistry as part of the potential care you’ll receive from us.