Laser Dentistry
Laser Dentistry has become more popular in the recents years due to its quick procedure completion times,
and minimal scarring/discomfort following dental work. When used in conjunction with other methods
of dental treatment, the use of lasers can drastically improve the quality of treatment and recovery time you will endure.
Dental lasers can be used to:
- Reduce the pain associated with canker or cold sores.
- Expose wisdom teeth that have only partially erupted.
- Adjust muscle attachments that prohibit proper jaw movement.
- Remove overgrown tissues caused by taking certain medications.
- Perform biopsies.
- Treat inflamed gum tissues and help combat the onset of gum disease.
- Remove gum and bone tissues for crown lengthening.
- Help treat infections if found while performing root canal procedures.
- Speed up tooth whitening services.
Oral cancer screening
Your dental professional may screen you for oral cancer even if you do not have symptoms. Screening test are useful as they can help detect oral cancers early, decreasing the chance of fatality due to these cancers. For most types of cancer, odds of survival are greatly increased if diagnosed at an early stage.
Your dentist may exam you for lesions in the mouth, lips, hard palate, gums, tongue and mucous membranes. If lesions are detected, a variety of screening methods may be used to further investigate such as:
- Biopsy- a small excision of the suspicious tissue is made and sent for microscopic examination.
- Exfoliative cytology- cells are obtained by means of scraping or smearing and examined.
- Imaging tests such as X-rays, ultra sounds, or MRIs X-rays, ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are other, and possibly less invasive, methods of detecting oral cancer that involve using radio wave energy to view possible subsurface masses and lesions.
- Toluidine blue (vital staining) – This procedure involves wiping the suspicious mucosal area and applying Toluidine blue solution, which is a type of stain that colors abnormal cellular surfaces.
It is important to keep in mind that if your dentist has sent you to get an oral cancer screening
it is usually a precautionary measure and does not mean that you have cancer.
