YAG Laser Essentially Vaporizes Decayed Tooth Tissue

Today, dentists have two other options--the erbium:YAG laser and the microair abrasion unit. FDA cleared the erbium:YAG laser for marketing for use on adults in May 1997 and for use on children in October 1998. Though the clearances were the first of their kind for treating "hard-tissue" in the mouth, the laser actually was introduced into dentistry in 1995, when FDA cleared a laser device for gum surgery.

As of March 1999, two companies market the laser for dental decay: Premier Laser Systems Inc., of Irvine, Calif., and BioLase, of San Clemente, Calif.

The erbium:YAG laser essentially vaporizes decayed tooth tissue. A stream of laser light that passes through a fiber connected to a pencil-like handpiece is directed to the decay. The laser handpiece looks like the standard handpiece and, like the standard handpiece, must be used in a controlled manner so that it doesn't slip and damage healthy tissue.

"The laser is a cutting instrument," says Susan Runner, D.D.S., branch chief of dental devices in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "And like any cutting instrument, dentists have to be careful any time they use it. The laser has many of the same risks as the drill."

Another similarity between the dental drill and the laser is that both use water and air to cool the tooth and clean the surface during removal of decay. While dentists and patients may wear eye protection during conventional treatment to protect against the spray of water and particles, they must wear goggles during the laser procedure to protect their eyes from straying laser light.

The laser has several benefits over the handpiece: Because laser treatment is usually painless, there is no need for anesthesia--or anesthetic injections--in many patients, and dentists do not have to wait until their patients' mouths are numb to begin treatment. Also, the laser eliminates the vibrating sensations of the high-speed handpiece.

Also, compared with the standard handpiece, the laser can work with better precision, saving more of the healthy tooth. And when the laser procedure is done, patients do not have to wait for the numbness and puffiness related to the use of anesthesia to fade.

For many patients, especially those particularly fearful of the dental drill, the laser has drawn rave reviews. "My patients love it," says Edward Romano, a dentist in Morristown, N.J., who has used the laser since 1997. "They say: 'I can't believe it's so comfortable, that dentistry has come this far.'"

Contact a local dentist to learn more about how to maintain your oral heath!