The squeal and pain of the dentists' drill may soon be a thing of the past as oral caretakers look to the future... which, of course, means
lasers. This is far from the first application of lasers in dental surgery, but until now they haven't been strong enough to penetrate teeth.
Because the lasers don't require physical contact between the tooth and the tool, vibrations are greatly reduced, which means far less pain. In fact, unless removing the decaying portions exposes a nerve, there may be no need for Novacaine injections at all, though many dentists will still give them as a precautionary measure.
Because decaying bone tissue in the teeth holds significantly more water than healthy enamel, the laser drill works by heating up water in the dead tissue causing microscopic explosions, literally blasting away the decayed bone. Unfortunately, traditional drills will still be needed to remove old-school mercury fillings, which can reflect the laser back at the dentist, posing a potential hazard.
As of now, laser filings are still expensive, but then again. According to the article in the UK's Daily Mail, the British National Health Service charges £75 (roughly $142) for one, compared with £40 ($75) for traditional filings. Here in the US,
laser dentistry procedures cost about 30 percent more than standard dental procedures. [Source:
Daily Mail]
