Laser energy is being harnessed to improve treatments in nearly every area of wellness and medicine, and dentistry is no exception. Dr. Linda Golden, owner of Golden Dental Wellness Center, in Manhasset, says laser therapy that triggers a process called photobiomodulation (PBM) improves healing and reduces discomfort after dental procedures, disinfects teeth and surgical areas, and promotes tissue repair.
“PBM is a biological cascade initiated by laser energy,” she says. “It leads to a cellular response that can decrease pain, accelerate the healing process and promote tissue regeneration. This is a therapy we’ve been striving to introduce and perfect for many years.”
Laser therapy using PBM is accomplishing the same goals in facial esthetics, sports medicine, chiropractic, orthopedics, gynecology, physical therapy and podiatry. In dentistry, it’s being used to treat conditions like sleep apnea; temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders; myofascial pain syndrome; and headaches and neck pain.
“It’s a wonderful adjunct to post-surgical healing following many dental procedures,” Golden says.
Less Pain, Faster Healing
Golden says her practice uses PBM primarily as a complementary treatment with soft-tissue procedures, but the laser is also used to disinfect teeth before they’re filled; to prepare teeth for fillings in a less traumatic way, to avoid microfractures; to calm soft tissue after the delivery of anesthesia; and to sterilize infected areas of the mouth, like canker sores. The treatment is noninvasive and clinically proven to reduce pain and improve healing.
The PBM technology at Golden Dental Wellness Center uses low-level light energy (visible red to near-infrared) to stimulate cells’ natural healing mechanism, thereby reducing inflammation. According to Biolase, which manufactures the technology, the light is absorbed into the mitochondria and cell membranes of the target cells, leading to increased molecular kinetic energy and providing the sterilization and cutting energy to treat teeth with decay. Additionally, it boosts cellular metabolism, increases lymphatic flow and stimulates micro-circulation. As a result, Golden says, PBM can also reduce or eliminate tooth sensitivity, a problem that affects many of her patients.
“The research has reported that the application of a therapeutic dose of light to impaired or dysfunctional tissue can lead to a cellular response, which is what leads to the reduced pain and inflammation, which is a key factor post dental procedures,” she says.
For appointments or more information, 444 Community Dr., Manhasset, NY. call 516-627-8400
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