Laser Dentistry & Cold Sore Treatment

Flagstaff Downtown Dental – Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

At our Flagstaff dental office, we use a soft tissue laser where many dentist would use a scalpel.  We have been using the cordless iLase diode dental laser since 2012.  The utilization of a highly focused laser beam vaporizes the soft tissue of the mouth.  The beam is very small; a concentrated focal point of less than half a millimeter (about the size of the period you see at the end of this sentence).  Having been taught periodontal surgery with a scalpel, Dr. Bacon is amazed and pleased with the technological advancement of a dental laser.

A quick 20 minute appointment fixed the contouring of the lateral incisors caused during orthodontic treatment.  This patient experienced little or no discomfort during and after the procedure.  The above photo (to the right) was taken immediately after laser gum surgery.  3 days later the gum is completely healed.

Advantages of a laser over the traditional scalpel:

  • Little to no bleeding
  • Multiple settings to accommodate many uses
  • Faster healing
  • Sterilization of the area
  • Less pain
  • Better control
  • Smoother contour of tissues
  • Cordless laser vs. a scalpel is like a car vs. a horse.

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Uses

  • Gummy smiles – overgrown gum tissue can be easily removed for immediate aesthetic results
  • Frenectomy – muscle pulls, especially by one’s lower incisors which can lead to gum recession and tooth loss.  A simple 10 minute procedure can eliminate this muscle pull and improve the health and prognosis of those teeth.
  • Control of gums during filling and crown procedures – Today’s materials are very moisture sensitive.  Lasers allow a dry field for the highest quality fillings and crowns obtainable.
  • Periodontal pocket treatment – Often able to remove unhealthy periodontal tissue to allow for healthier and easier to clean gums.
  • Cold sores – This is in bold because I believe this to be the biggest breakthrough for non medicinal treatment of cold sores ever!  If lasered at the very beginning of a cold sore breakout, lasers can reduce pain and healing time of your cold sore.  The cold sore often never returns to that location on your lip. Patients that have received this treatment are ecstatic and we our looking forward to making to making this treatment more known in the future.
  • Dr. Bacon and the entire staff at Flagstaff Downtown Dental took 16 hours of Continuing Education in Laser Dentistry in the past year.

Cold Sore Treatment

Cold sores – Stowell, Blane and Bacon believe this to be the biggest breakthrough for non-medicinal treatment of cold sores ever!  If layered at the very beginning** of a cold sore breakout, lasers can reduce pain and healing time of your cold sore.  A diode laser (we use an iLase) is focused about 10mm from the cold sore.  The treatment continues until the area feels less sensitive and the dentist is able to get about 3mm from the cold sore.  We never physically touch the cold sore.  A high speed suction is used in conjunction with the laser.  The energy from the laser kills the virus and in turn makes the spot much less painful.  The procedure itself is painless (actually it feels good!). The cold sore often never returns to that location on your lip. Patients that have received this treatment are ecstatic and we our looking forward to making this treatment more known in the future.

REVOLUTIONARY LASER TREATMENT FOR COLD SORES

Cold sores (also sometimes called fever blisters) typically develop in clusters near the mouth or right on the lips, and they’re well-known for causing a great deal of lingering discomfort. Thankfully, Dr. Bacon and Dr. Stowell can use his soft tissue laser to not only help reduce this pain immediately, but shorten the patient’s overall healing time as well. This is because laser treatment actually stimulates the cells that play an important role in healing wounds. In fact, if patients notice the warning signs of an outbreak (such as itching, a fever, or a sore throat) early enough, laser treatment may be able to prevent the development of cold sores entirely.