Laser Dentistry vs. Traditional Dental Procedures: Which is Better?

Kid undergoing laser dentistry procedure in murray hill

When it comes to dental procedures, many patients aren’t aware of the advances dentistry made in recent years. One such advancement is laser dentistry in Murray Hill, which has become an increasingly popular option for treating dental problems. However, some may still wonder whether laser dentistry is better than traditional methods and equipment. 

Before your next dentist appointment, read on to understand the different uses of laser and traditional dentistry. 

Dentist performing a laser dentistry procedure in murray hill

Advantages of Laser Dentistry 

Laser dentistry is a non-invasive method used to perform complex dental procedures. The laser dentists use emits a focused beam of light that can cut through or vaporize tissue with precision. This technique minimizes the need for traditional dental tools like scalpels or drills. Laser dentistry offers several advantages, including: 

Less Pain and Discomfort  

One of the main advantages of laser dentistry is that it can significantly reduce pain and discomfort during and after a procedure. Lasers replace drills and more aggressive dental tools, which generate more pressure and heat. As a result, the treated area isn’t as sensitive and swollen.  

Laser dentistry can also seal nerve endings, making for a comfortable and pain-free recovery period at home. 

Improved Precision 

Traditional dental procedures can damage neighboring teeth and gums while the dentist removes decayed or infected tissue. However, lasers can target specific areas without affecting other parts of your mouth. Therefore, laser dentistry is ideal for procedures that require precision, such as gum reshaping and cavity detection. 

Reduced Bleeding and Swelling 

Lasers can cauterize blood vessels as they cut, meaning the light immediately seals them to prevent unnecessary bleeding. Not only does this process promote faster healing and recovery, but it also reduces swelling and infection. 

Faster Healing Time 

Because laser dentistry is less invasive than traditional procedures, patients typically heal and return to their everyday lives in a few days. Laser dentistry also stimulates tissue regeneration, which also speeds up recovery. In some cases, patients may even be able to resume their normal activities immediately after a laser procedure. 

Advantages of Traditional Dental Procedures  

Established Track Record 

Traditional dental procedures have been used for decades and have a proven successful track record. Even though laser dentistry is perfectly safe, dentists are more familiar with conventional techniques. Patients also feel more at ease when undergoing a procedure with methods they know. 

Lower Cost  

Another advantage of traditional dental procedures is that they are often cheaper than laser dentistry. Laser equipment is more expensive to purchase and maintain, and not all insurance plans cover treatments performed with them. 

Widely Available and Accessible 

While laser dentistry is becoming more common, not all dental practices have the equipment or expertise necessary to perform laser procedures. In contrast, traditional dental procedures are more established and widely available. Therefore, patients can find more dentists trained and experienced in performing these procedures. This advantage is vital to patients living in more remote or underserved areas with limited access to specialized dental care.  

Examples of Procedures Suited for Laser Dentistry 

Gum Reshaping and Crown Lengthening 

Gum reshaping is a procedure during which a dental professional removes excess gum tissue to improve your smile’s appearance or address periodontal disease. During crown lengthening, a dentist gets rid of bone and gum tissue to expose more of the tooth’s crown, typically to prepare your smile for a dental crown or bridge. 

A dental professional can use laser dentistry to reshape, remove, and cauterize this tissue with greater precision and less discomfort. 

Gum Bleaching 

Gum bleaching is a cosmetic procedure to lighten the shade of discolored gums and enhance your smile’s looks. With the beam of light that lasers emit, your dentist can remove excess pigmentation from the gums in a non-invasive and painless way. 

Cold Sore Treatment 

Cold sores are painful blisters that develop on or around the lips, and the herpes simplex virus causes them. A low-level laser can target the virus and stimulate the body’s natural healing process, reducing the pain and speeding up recovery. Laser treatment can also reduce the chances of blisters reappearing. 

  Patient undergoing a laser dentistry procedure in murray hill

Looking for Laser Dentistry Procedures in Murray Hill? 

If you want to know more about the benefits of laser dentistry for your dental needs, schedule a visit with us at Coliseum Dental. Contact us today! 

What Is Gum Bleaching?

Patient after gum bleaching procedure Gramercy park
The first thing that springs to mind when people jump into the topic of what makes a beautiful and healthy smile is pearly white teeth. What’s often left out of the conversation are the gums. They are the unsung heroes of your mouth because a beautiful smile is impossible to achieve without them. You can accomplish beautiful smiles and gums with quality gum bleaching in Gramercy Park.   Gums that are discolored might affect the appearance of your smile and lower your self-esteem. If your gums make you hesitant to flash your smile, you should think about gum bleaching, otherwise known as gum whitening or gum depigmentation.   Gum bleaching diagram Gramercy park

All About Gum Bleaching

What Is It?

This procedure is called many names, such as gum whitening, gum lightening, dark gum treatment, and gum depigmentation. But, no matter what it’s called, the vital fact to remember is that this is a quick and comparatively painless one that’ll give you results worth every penny.   A soft tissue laser is used during the operation. When your gum tissue’s brown or black spots are exposed to the laser, they will disappear. Although many patients undergo this procedure to lighten their black gums, some still do so to have evenly pink gums across their mouths.  

Is Gum Bleaching Painful?

As stated earlier, gum lightening is comparatively painless. You won’t feel much pain throughout the non-invasive gum bleaching technique. Even though you may experience minor soreness, it’s only natural as your gums need to adjust. Soon after the surgery, you can experience transient gum sensitivity.  

What Should I Do if I Have Black Gums?

You may have black, bright red, or patchwork gums for various causes. Discoloration may be brought on by:  
  • A lack of care and poor dental hygiene – The best way to enhance oral health, lower the chance of illness, and avoid staining is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss afterward.  
  • Medication – Some medications are linked to gum discoloration. Patches of dark gum pigmentation can be targeted with gum bleaching or whitening, although discoloration may return if you keep taking the same medications after treatment. 
  • Lifestyle choices: Smoking and chewing tobacco are common factors that increase your risk of developing stained gums. 
  • Ethnicity: Some people are more prone than others to have darker or patchier gums because of their race.  

Is Gum Bleaching Safe?  

The gum bleaching procedure is non-invasive and safe. The black tissue on the surface of your mouth is softly removed using a microdermabrasion procedure or laser technology while you are sedated. Aside from the fact that it’s a safe procedure, another good thing about this treatment is that the outcome can be achieved on the same day.  

Are There Negative Effects?

Your gums will notice the effects of gum bleaching immediately, and there won’t be any adverse side effects. After the bleaching operation, you may experience temporary mild sensitivity but no severe pain or discomfort. Following gum whitening, patients can immediately eat and speak normally.  

How Long Does the Gum-Whitening Procedure Last?

It takes about 45 minutes to bleach your gums. However, depending on the local anesthetic, you may have to wait a little while before the treatment begins. Dark gums may usually be removed in less than an hour, though.   Woman smiling after gum bleaching procedure Gramercy park

How Long Do the Results of Gum Bleaching in Gramercy Park Last?  

The gum bleaching process takes less than an hour. However, the consequences of the operation linger quite a while, especially for situations brought on by external factors like smoking.    Although some gums will retain their beautiful pink shade for 20–25 years, the results are typically long-lasting. Indeed, this treatment allows you to enjoy your pink gums that appear healthy for the rest of your life. Please schedule an appointment with us to get this treatment. 

Everything You Need to Know About Crowns

getting Cosmetic dentistry Hell’s kitchen

Dental crowns are vastly important for chewing and smiling. Because we use them daily, crowns have many opportunities to break, crack, and become dislodged. Find out everything you need to know about maintaining them, and what happens when you need cosmetic dentistry in Hell’s Kitchen to replace one or more. 

getting Cosmetic dentistry Hell’s kitchen

What Are Crowns? 

Crowns from your dentist are of porcelain mostly, but can be zirconia, metal, or ceramic. At Coliseum Dental, each crown from us will be fashioned from porcelain. These are as strong as enamel, but will need to be properly maintained as it they were real. 

These are hollow caps that slip over teeth to protect them from any further damage. 

Times When You Need a Dental Crown 

Believe it or not but mouths undergo a lot of daily stress. Anything from mouth breathing to biting a hard object can have an adverse effect on enamel. You will need a dental crown procedure to: 

·      Prevent the spread of tooth decay 

·      Restore your smile aesthetic 

·      Cover and support a cavity plagued tooth 

·      Hold a bridge firmly in place 

·      Cover a misshapen or discolored tooth 

·      Top of an implant 

·      Shelter a root canal 

What to Expect from a Procedure 

Receiving a crown is a very easy appointment. We begin by taking x-rays of the teeth and surrounding bones to see the extent of the damage. If we see underlying concerns, we will treat them before you receive a new crown. We do this to ensure your procedure is successful. 

Next, we’ll grind down the teeth that need a crown. By reshaping it, we can ensure a snuggly fitting crown that doesn’t add additional bulk to your mouth and smile. 

With the impressions in hand, we have the information we need to craft you a new smile. 

Are Same-Day Crowns as Strong as Lab-Made Ones 

The time it takes for you to receive a crown has no impact on its integrity. After all, the time it takes to create is the only real difference. 

What Else Can CEREC® Make? 

While we heavily use CEREC® technology to fabricate crowns in just one visit, it can do much more. If you’re visiting us for a veneer, bridge, or other cosmetic upgrade, we use CEREC® to craft whatever you need in under an hour in most cases. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Often Do Crowns Break? 

Since porcelain is of roughly the same sturdiness as enamel, replacement caps break at around the same percentage as teeth; not all too often. However, you will need to practice good oral hygiene to keep them lasting as long as possible. 

What Are the Best Ways to Care for My Dental Crowns? 

As a general rule, treat your porcelain replicas as if they were real teeth. This means that you need to: 

·      Sufficiently brush twice a day 

·      Properly floss daily 

·      Never use your mouth as a tool 

While these are great to keep in mind, they aren’t be all end all solutions. You may also want to be mindful of your eating habits. Munching on ice may seem fine on a hot day but ice is hard enough to chip porcelain, the same as it often does with enamel.  

getting Cosmetic dentistry Hell’s kitchen

Are You Looking for Cosmetic Dentistry in Hell’s Kitchen? 

No matter if you need crowns or teeth whitening, Coliseum Dental can be the place for all of your dental needs. Give us a call today to schedule your next appointment. 

Frequently Asked Laser Dentistry Questions

Laser Dentistry Murray Hill

Have you scheduled an appointment for laser dentistry in Murray Hill? If so, you like many others may have a lot of questions about what to expect. While the appointment may make you nervous, it shouldn’t. 

woman about to get Laser Dentistry Murray Hill

What Is Laser Dentistry? 

Laser dentistry is a method we use to provide quality care for all patients. Our specialized tools focus modified light beams in such a way that makes the drill an obsolete dental relic. Lasers allow dentists to offer noninvasive care even for more complex conditions. 

Are Lasers Safe? 

Lasers are incredibly safe for several reasons. First, the modified light rays only affect one type of tissue at a time. This means, as we recontour or whiten your teeth, your tongue, gums, and lips will be unaffected. 

Secondly, lasers are noninvasive. There is no slicing, cutting, or drilling involved as we use lasers to remove plaque and tartar with ease. 

Lastly, because of their noninvasive nature, lasers don’t cause pain. This is wonderful news for those nervous of using anesthesia or painkillers during their appointments. In fact, only in rare cases will a patient ask for sedatives during laser, and if they do, it’s usually a result of dental phobia, not pain. 

What Are Common Laser Dentistry Procedures? 

At Coliseum Dental we use WaterLase™ lasers, which give us supreme versatility. 

Gummy Smile Treatment 

If your smile reveals more gum than you care for, consider gummy smile surgery. With lasers, our team can reshape your gum line, so you can feel confident in your smile anywhere you go. 

Gum Surgery 

Fighting periodontal disease sometimes comes down to surgery, which use to rely on scalpels and stitches. By using lasers, we can safely remove infected tissues without making you bleed uncontrollably!  

Teeth Whitening 

Laser teeth whitening has the ability to brighten smiles by up to eight shades! Whitening is a multistep procedure. Here’s what to expect: 

1.     Notation of your current teeth color  

2.     Cleaning and polishing of each tooth 

3.     Isolation of your teeth and soft tissues 

4.     Hydrogen peroxide application 

5.     Laser activation 

The end result is a Hollywood smile that will be the envy of any passersby.  

Who Can Receive Laser Dentistry? 

Laser dentistry is a modality safe for all ages and walks of life. Your young child and elderly parents can experience the wonders of this dental technology without a hint of discomfort. 

At Coliseum Dental, we prefer using lasers when we work with your little ones to improve their oral health. Why? Because lasers are so gentle, and comfortable. This type of dentistry helps prevent dental phobias, allowing for smoother experiences as your child grows into their teen and adult years. 

Laser Dentistry Murray Hill

Are You Excited for Laser Dentistry in Murray Hill? 

With so many benefits of this method, it’s hard not to want a laser procedure. Regardless of color, pain, or aesthetics, if you have an oral issue, lasers can provide the relief you need. Wait no longer for the care you deserve and schedule an appointment. 

Give Coliseum Dental a call today to improve your oral wellbeing!