Question:
i've have been to a dentist in years and am very apprehensive about going
now that i know i need to.
i've heard that some dentists use lasers and that lasers are
much less painful than drills.
is this true? are there any caveats i should be aware of?
thank you for allowing the question, and i am grateful for any help or
guidance you can offer.
Answer:
REPLY:
1. Find a compassionate dentist.
2. Find a dentist who has time for you.
3. Find a minimally-invasive dentist.
4. Develop a rapport with that dentist, not with the foxy dental assistant.
Please note: So far, there is no mention of what equipment he/she uses to
drill out decay. Now it could be a foot-driven dental engine from the year
1910. It probably is more likely, an air turbine, which tends to vibrate
your head a whole lot less.
Forget the marketing nonsense! If the guy offers pillows and bakes bread in
the dental office, then beware. I am not making this up! This is from the
"Dental Advice" section. Pease pay attention to number four above.
Find a good dentist!
far easier said than done these days......
hard to even get through the receptionist guard (or worst case wife who
works in the office) to the dentist.
and when you do find one and get comfortable, a shock realizing that his
life can change and so does he.
The current guidelines and standards of the Academy of Laser Dentistry for
dental laser education were adopted in 1993 and were endorsed by over 75
dental and health organizations, universities, and manufacturers worldwide.
Now it's time for an update.
The Academy of Laser Dentistry is seeking input from the dental community
for the next version of Curriculum Guidelines and Standards for Dental Laser
Education, which defines the standard of education for practitioners who use
lasers. The goal of the document is to enhance student and practitioner
understanding and knowledge of the application of laser technology in
dentistry.
The guidelines, developed by consensus among dental professionals, are
intended to provide guidance to practitioners and educators and to reassure
the public on the issues of education, competency, and quality. They were
not meant to be interpreted as recommendations for restricting the
application of laser technology, nor is adherence to the guidelines meant to
restrict, limit, or regulate the usage of lasers as a device.
The document provides guidelines for practitioners to assure safe and
efficacious use of lasers and establishes standards of education as well as
defining standards for the demonstration of competency. Because laser
applications in dentistry have specific indications and contraindications
for use in treatment, an understanding of the fundamentals of laser optics
and dental tissue interactions is essential and practitioners must have a
foundation in laser applications for dentistry in order to use laser devices
for treatment of dental diseases.
The curriculum guidelines outline four levels of education: informational
continuing education courses which do not assess proficiency in laser use;
didactic, laboratory and clinical exercises; advanced education with
didactic, laboratory, and clinical observation along with a clinical case
study requirement; and courses for instructors of laser education in
dentistry.
The School of Dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco
organized the workshop in July 1992 which led to the 1993 guidelines, and on
Oct. 3 a workshop will be held at the university to solicit input from
dental professionals. Comments may also be addressed to workshop organizer
Dr. Joel White in writing (UCSF School of Dentistry, 707 Parnassus Avenue,
Box 0758, San Francisco, CA 94143-0758, USA), by fax (415) 476-0858, or by
electronic mail (jwh...@itsa.ucsf.edu) while a working draft of the
guidelines will be available on the Academy of Laser Dentistry's website
(www.laserdentistry.org).
A final version of the guidelines will be sent to all endorsers for their
final approval, after which the final document will be distributed.
The Academy of Laser Dentistry was formed in 1993 with the merger of the
International Academy of Laser Dentistry, the North American Academy of
Laser Dentistry, and the American Academy of Laser Dentistry. The
organization now has over 500 members worldwide.
Although far from an expert on this subject, lasers can be used for decay
removal (cavity prepartions) on many people without the subsequent use of local
anesthetics. However if you are extremely apprehensive as you indicate both
local anesthetic and possibly sedation will be necessary.
