As part of our ongoing commitment to provide our patients with the best possible care, we're pleased to offer the benefits of the dental laser. We hope the following information will "enlighten" you regarding this exciting new technology.

As a patient, what does the laser mean to me?

The laser is very precise and allows us to treat gum disease earlier than ever before. We can often intercept problems before they become big and require you to face more serious (and expensive) treatment.

Gum disease may be today's most serious dental problem. When the laser treats soft tissue inside the mouth, there is little or no bleeding. This means you probably will not need stitches following surgery. It also means less risk of spreading blood-born diseases.

Will it hurt?

The aspect of the laser many patients appreciate most is its comfort. While no treatment is truly painless, the laser greatly reduces the need for anesthetics such as novocaine. This enhances our ability to treat patients who are pregnant or medically compromised. The children we treat are often less fearful. And with the laser, the need for postoperative pain medication is also reduced or eliminated.

Is it safe?

Yes, very safe. Lasers like the one in our office have safely performed millions of procedures. This safety is also supported by hundreds of university studies. Our laser is so precise, it only removes a few cell layers at a time. It delivers its beam in tiny pulses. In any given second, it is actually off longer than it is on. Most procedures use less than three watts of power, less than many portable phones.

Are any precautions necessary?

Laser energy is not radioactive but simply magnified light. However, just as you wear sunglasses while on the beach, you'll wear special glasses during treatment to protect your eyes from prolonged exposure to the bright light.

What does the laser look like?

The dental laser is a suitcase-sized unit which contains an energy source and a sophisticated electronic control system. The laser light is delivered by a pen-like handpiece connected to the energy source by a lightweight optical fiber.

What does it sound like?

As the pulses of laser energy leave the tip of the optical fiber, there is a slight ticking sound. It is not loud and most of our patients say it is not at all unpleasant.

Is every patient treated with the laser?

Though the laser is a wonderful instrument, it is not appropriate for all procedures. It is frequently used in conjunction with conventional instruments. Please ask us about the role the laser might play in your treatment.

Fact Sheet on the American Dental Technologies PulseMaster™

What is the PulseMaster™

It is a pulsed Nd:YAG (neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser designed specifically for dental work.

Is it being used on patients?

Yes. Nd:YAG lasers are in daily use in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia and have been used to perform more than one million procedures in the last three years. More than 600 dentists are now using American Dental Technologies lasers in the United States and more than 1000 are using them worldwide.

Has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared it?

Yes. In 1990, the FDA gave clearance to market the PulseMaster™ for gum surgery.

How is the ADL PulseMaster™ different?

Treatment with the PulseMaster™ differs from conventional treatment in that it is:

• Faster and more efficient in many cases
• Bloodless in most cases
• Less invasive
• Precise and conserving of healthy tissue
• More comfortable post-operatively

Is anesthesia required?

For minor procedures which involve lower power settings, anesthesia is not normally needed. For more extensive procedures and higher power settings, anesthesia may be required, but post-operative comfort is still much greater than with conventional surgery.

What are the advantages of using the PulseMaster™ laser?

The laser gives the dentist the ability to deliver highly concentrated, controlled energy into some of the most difficult recesses of the mouth. In turn, the ability of this beam to vaporize biological tissue with exacting precision, to cauterize, to perform without anesthesia, to perform quickly, and to perform new procedures is revolutionizing dentistry, for both the dentist and the patient.

Example: Gum surgery.

Some incisions can be performed without anesthesia. The incisions are precise and normally bloodless. The virtual elimination of bleeding during surgery gives the dentist a clear view of the operating field and reduces the risk to the dentist of diseases transferred by blood.

Example: Treatment of gum disease.

In some cases, the laser may be used instead of traditional instruments to provide treatment of gum disease. The laser is used to remove diseased tissue and eliminate areas where disease-causing bacteria lives and breeds.

Example: Treatment of mouth sores.

The laser is used to treat a variety of sores within the mouth, including canker sores, fibromas (small benign tumors), denture sores, etc. These procedures are often performed without bleeding, anesthesia or the need for post-operative pain medication. In fact patients frequently report almost instantaneous relief from the discomfort associated with these conditions.

Is it safe?

Yes, in every way, when used with good clinical judgement and according to specific guidelines.

How does the laser work?

A laser emits concentrated energy in the form of a light beam. This beam vaporizes gum tissue. The PulseMaster™ delivers a narrow pulsed beam. Each pulse lasts only millionths of a second and vaporizes only a specific number of cell layers within the circumference of the beam. This gives the dentist precise control over the laser. The dentist starts and stops the laser with a foot pedal.

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