At Coppe and Sears, we are committed to providing our patients with the highest quality of orthodontic care possible.
One way we are able to accomplish this is by offering procedures involving soft tissue laser treatment. Lasers are highly versatile tools and allow us to provide orthodontic treatments that are more comfortable, have reduced treatment time, and help patients more effectively get the treatments they need.
Although treatment with a “laser” may sound like a big deal, it is actually very simple, quick, and painless. Most procedures do not involve an injection to numb the treatment area, but rather an application of a numbing gel to the outside of the gum tissue needing treatment. Post-procedure discomfort is minimal, and most patients describe the feeling as being similar to having burned an area of gum tissue on a hot piece of food. Healing time is very quick - usually just a couple of days are required for the area to be completely back to normal - and bleeding during the procedure is almost nonexistent. Lasers target the treatment area with great precision in order to minimize or avoid damage to any nearby areas. The laser stops bleeding, seals nerve endings, and greatly reduces any post-treatment inflammation and associated discomfort. Additionally, they are wonderfully hygienic.
With lasers, we are able to treat various soft tissue problems and address both cosmetic and hygiene issues. Some of the procedures in which soft tissue lasers may be used include:
Gingival recontouring
The gingival margin of gums frames the teeth and smile. Sometimes the gums will extend too far down on the upper front teeth which can make teeth look small and unproportional. Soft tissue laser treatment can re-contour and reshape the redundant gum tissue, achieving a proper gum height and contour that will allow the teeth to look larger and produce a more balanced and symmetrical smile. Some patients have trouble cleaning around their braces, and as a result experience puffy gums. If the size of the gums does not go down with routine brushing, flossing, and home care, Dr. Sears can recontour this gum tissue back to the appropriate size using the soft tissue laser.
Exposing impacted teeth
When a tooth fails to emerge through the gums tissue and into the mouth, it is considered to be impacted. It is important to treat an impacted tooth promptly in order to prevent the improper eruption of nearby teeth, cyst formation, possible infection, pain, or other negative changes within the jaw. Most of all, an impacted tooth can significantly delay orthodontic treatment as a patient waits (and sometimes waits and waits longer) for a tooth to emerge so that it can be aligned. Laser exposure is a simple, painless way to help the tooth grow into the mouth so that there is not a significant delay in orthodontic treatment.