LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, a complicated string of words that basically means a single wavelength beam of highly concentrated light energy.
Lasers have transformed medical surgery by offering minimally-invasive alternatives to traditional scalpel incisions and sutured closures. Laser light produces very little heat as it acts on its target. This makes it ideal for dental surgery, since it seldom affects tissues other than those it targets.
Therapeutic Applications
Lasers can cure (harden) dental materials, scan teeth to detect decay, vaporize decay and prep teeth for fillings, and activate whitening gel to brighten smiles. Currently, dental applications include gum disease treatments, gum re-contouring, root canal cleaning, decay detection and elimination, bonding material curing and strengthening, incision cauterizing and tissue fusion, lesion reparation, biopsies, and super-fast teeth whitening procedures.