General info
There is a lot of talk about the use of dental laser equipment in dentistry, but often times the truth is obscured by falsehoods or exaggerations. Most of the time this is due to ignorance or lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, what is unknown is often unloved! What is a laser? What is it based on? What are its possibilities or advantages, what can’t it do and why not? When will there be a laser that can do it all? In the following paragraphs, we will try to answer these questions.
The word laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Simply stated; “Amplification of light by stimulated emission of radiation*. An optical cavity forms the basis for the lasers. Enclosed in the cavity, is an active medium that determines the type of laser beam generated. The active medium can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Often times in the solid form, the active medium is enriched with crystal. The majority of people in the dental industry talk about a YAG laser, the acronym for Ytrium Alunimium Garnite. YAG is a specific type of crystal that can be enriched with active substances. The Erbium YAG, Neodymium YAG and Holmium YAG lasers are the best known examples of this. The Dye laser is an example of a liquid laser, but it is not used in dentistry. CO2 and Argon are two examples of a gas laser.
The active medium is placed between two mirrors of which one mirror can be made semi-transparent. An external energy source is then needed to produce a laser beam. This can be supplied by electricity, a flash light or even another laser. A laser also consists of an optical part, a system of lenses and mirrors as well as a laser energy source that transmits the energy to the connected hand piece. This last part can be, for example, a glass fiber or mirror arm. When using the hand piece, the laser’s energy can be used for various treatments.
As mentioned above, the active medium determines the wavelength of the laser radiation. Each wavelength has its own specific absorption rate on different types of tissues. Important tissue parts such as hemoglobin, oxyhemoglobin, water and hydroxyapatite containing tissues, are very important in dentistry. For each tissue part there are absorption curves that can be used to determine the ideal wavelength to be used on the tissue at hand.
An Erbium YAG laser, officially written as Er:YAG, has for example, a high absorption rate in water and a low absorption rate in hydroxyapatite. Therefore, the wavelength of the Er:YAG is perfect for use on hard tooth structures. A KTP laser has a high absorption rate in hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin, but a low absorption in water. Therefore, it is the perfect tool to use in minor surgery applications with perfect haemostasis. However, it is not suitable to use for preparations on hard structures of teeth. Therefore, the wavelength determines the capabilities of the laser. This conclusion makes the answer to the question, ‘when will there be a laser that can do it all’, quite simple: never!
You can learn more about the various lasers and what they can do on our product pages.
Besides a wide range of laser equipment, we also offer several dental devices that are worth looking into. When choosing our selection, we are always on the look out for innovative, value-added characteristics or equipment that will offer time saving features for any state-of-the-art dentistry practice.