When you have cavities, it can be frustrating as they are often painful. Cavities may occur despite you brushing and flossing regularly. If you have cavities, you should not ignore them because they can continue wreaking havoc on your oral health if left untreated. One treatment option you can choose is laser dentistry for fixing cavities. Visiting a Midtown Manhattan laser dentistry specialist allows you to get an examination and start treatment. But how effective is laser dentistry in removing cavities?
Conventional Treatment for Cavities
A cavity results from tooth decay, and that is why you must get them treated. Failure to treat cavities would cause them to spread, causing your teeth to decay further. Before treating a cavity, a dentist has to locate it. Different ways of identifying a cavity are available. The dentist may ask if you are experiencing any pain or sensitive areas. The specialist examines the mouth, often inspecting it visually. Additionally, the dental specialist may probe the teeth to look for soft areas. The dentist may order x-rays to examine how deep a cavity is.
Treatment Options
Upon locating the cavity, there are different treatment stages. A dentist may use fluoride as it provides a line of defense from cavities. This treatment is helpful if a cavity is identified in the early stages. Another treatment is fillings, where a dentist fills the hole using a unique material. Crowns are also an option, and they involve the use of custom-sized caps to replace the natural crown of the teeth. A dentist drills off the decay and makes a crown using a solid material like a filling. Root canals are done if decay has spread to the root and pulp of a tooth. If damage is pervasive, tooth extraction is recommended. Now, these are the traditional options for the treatment of a cavity.
Laser Treatment Options
Many patients are afraid of the drill when repairing a cavity. While the drills and shots make the worst part of cavity treatment, the laser treatment makes this part quite impressive. There are neither shots nor drills with laser treatment. Better still, laser dentistry is quite precise compared to drills, which means that it saves more of your healthy tooth.
Also, since the traditional cavity treatment often needs anesthesia, numbing the site is not required for laser treatment. The treatment is virtually painless yet much faster. It is, therefore, cost-effective.
So, Any Side Effects With Lasers?
While many people think that lasers for dental treatment have side effects, they may not be as severe as drills and shots. There are some side effects, but a dentist will ensure they are minimized as much as possible. For instance, damage to gums or even the pulp may occur. Surprisingly, many side effects exist with traditional cavity treatment rather than laser cavity treatment. Lasers are much safer compared to conventional dentistry.
If you have tooth decay, you may consider laser dentistry for treatment. It is safe and reliable. Dental professionals consider it as among the most significant advances dental technology has made.
