Everything you should know about Laser Therapy

The first thing to know before analyzing laser therapy further is the meaning of laser. LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In laser therapy, a laser is a device used to produce a beam of light that is focused. The beam of light from a laser device is set to specific wavelengths, which differentiates it from other types of light. The beam of light from the device is then used to conduct various medical treatments.

Laser therapy is a treatment that involved the use of focused beams of light to perform various functions. Lasers are mostly used by surgeons to improve precisions when working on patients. Its benefits majorly surround the ability to work on a precise location without causing a lot of damage to the surrounding tissues. Ever since this technology, surgery has become more effective and less painful than it has even been before.

Where is laser therapy used?

Surgeons are not new to laser therapy. Most of the procedures done using laser therapy have to do with surgery. Laser therapy techniques differ depending on the kind of procedure that is to be performed on a patient. Some of the medical areas where laser therapy is used includes:

• Shrink tumors – most precancerous tumors, growths, and polyps are shrunk or even destroyed with laser therapy.
• Sealing blood vessels – when too much bleeding is happening, lasers are useful in sealing the blood vessels to stop the bleeding.
• Sealing nerve endings – nerve endings are responsible for pain sensitivity in the body. Lasers can be used to seal them to reduce pain. Particularly after surgery. Lasers are also used to treat back pains caused by nerve endings.
• For cosmetic purposes – lasers have been used severally to get rid of moles, birthmarks, and warts on patients. It is also a preferred option for hair removal. Lasers can also help reduce scarring in a body, and even be useful in removing tattoos.
• Laser dentistry – lasers are now being used in different dental procedures to improve the efficiency of treatments.

Laser therapy in dentistry

When it comes to oral health, laser technology has proved to be very helpful. Several procedures in dental correction and restoration call for surgery. Lasers come in to speed up the process and improve efficiency, all while reducing pain levels. Laser dentistry is a more comfortable treatment for most of the dental treatments that need surgery.

Some of the areas that laser dentistry is involved include, treating teeth hypersensitivity, teeth whitening, tooth decay, and gum disease. All the processes are categorized into two groups, either hard tissue procedures or soft tissue.

What are the benefits of laser dentistry?

• It fixes a myriad of dental issues

Other than the dental problems mentioned above, lasers can handle so much more. Some soft tissue procedures in laser dentistry include treating tongue frenulum attachment, gum reduction, crown lengthening, and removing soft tissue folds in the mouth. Besides that, hard tissue procedures include detecting tooth cavities preparing teeth for a dental filling, among others. Lasers have also been used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

• Lesser tissue damage

Traditional surgical procedures are not as precise as lasers are. This means that the incisions made on the target tooth spill over to the surrounding soft tissues, causing damage. Lasers are focused and targeted to the affected area to prevent damaging the tissues around it.

• You may not need local anesthesia

Surgical procedures often require patients to be put under anesthesia to help reduce pain. Numbing is only temporary to last you through surgery. However, most laser treatments may not require you to be induced, because the procedure is not as painful.

• Minimized bleeding

Lasers are used to seal blood vessels to reduce bleeding. Further, they promote blood clotting, which means that the treated area will not be subjected to bleeding for too long. The better news is that wounds of laser procedures heal faster. Since the clotting forms quickly, tissues can start to regenerate immediately and promote speedy healing.

• Sterilized procedures

Rarely do patients report an infection after a laser procedure. Laser treatment involves sterilization of the wound. This narrows down the chances of bacteria surviving in the wound to cause an infection.

Summary

We should thank technology for introducing laser therapy in the field of medicine. Now different medical conditions can be treated quicker and more effectively than ever before.