Dental lasers like Solea are transforming periodontal and oral surgery procedures by providing minimally invasive treatment with faster healing, reduced pain, and improved patient outcomes compared to traditional scalpel and drill techniques. According to a dentist with 12 years of laser experience, these procedures now achieve results in days rather than weeks, increase patient acceptance of treatment, and expand treatment options available in-office.
- Dental lasers reduce bacteria, remove diseased tissue, and create optimal healing environments for periodontal disease treatment and oral surgery procedures.
- Crown lengthening and other procedures that once took six weeks to heal now show excellent tissue appearance in five to seven days with laser technology.
- Laser surgery requires only topical anesthesia instead of injections, eliminating numbing wait time and allowing procedures to start immediately.
- The learning curve for dentists adopting laser technology is smaller than expected, and the investment typically pays for itself through increased efficiency and expanded in-house treatment options.
Dr. Joshua Weintraub has spent more than a decade incorporating laser technology into his periodontal and oral surgery procedures. In this Q&A with DrBicuspid.com, he discusses how using a dental laser for procedures like crown lengthening, frenectomies, and implant site preparation has changed both the patient experience and his day-to-day practice. Weintraub believes more dentists should consider making the switch.
Which periodontal procedures and oral surgeries do you perform most frequently with a dental laser?
Dr. Joshua Weintraub.
Treating periodontal disease is one of the main uses for our laser. In our practice, we use Solea, an all-tissue laser. The laser reduces bacteria, removes diseased tissue, and creates an environment for healing.
Periodontal procedures, like crown lengthening, are also common; these might be needed because of decay or a fractured tooth, and the laser is used to remove some gingiva and bone to expose more of the tooth structure.
The laser is also often used for procedures like frenectomies (releasing or removing restrictive tissue under the tongue or between the lip and gums), removal of fibromas and other lesions, and operculectomies, to name a few.
It's also used for implant uncovery and to shape the tissue around an implant before placing an implant crown for a better emergence profile. Many procedures that once relied on a scalpel or drill can now be performed with a dental laser.
What are the benefits of using a laser for these procedures?
The biggest benefit of using a dental laser for surgery is that it's minimally invasive. For patients, that’s important, because it means less discomfort, less downtime, and a faster return to normal life.
For crown lengthening, for example, I use Solea to remove soft tissue and bone, and in many cases, I can restore the tooth in the same visit. I'm still amazed at how good the tissue looks after just five to seven days. With conventional techniques, it takes about six weeks for tissue to heal enough for the final restoration.
I’d imagine patients are resistant to committing to periodontal work or oral surgery for a variety of reasons. Does sharing more about dental laser technology help to lessen this anxiety?
Absolutely. Many patients associate periodontal treatment or oral surgery with pain, bleeding, sutures, long recoveries, and high costs. For those reasons, many patients resist referrals to a periodontist, and I see plenty of cases where periodontal disease goes unaddressed for far too long. That resistance usually comes down to fear: fear of the unknown, the pain, the cost of surgery, or simply the time for treatment.
When patients understand the benefits (faster healing, less pain, and more efficient visits), it helps them feel ready to move forward with treatment sooner.
There seem to be a lot of patient-focused benefits of the laser. Are there any benefits for your practice?
Yes, many. As a dentist performing these procedures, I have more control with the laser versus a high-speed handpiece. I use it on nearly every patient. It not only allows me to do better dentistry, but it also has made everything in the office run more smoothly.
Being able to use a topical anesthetic instead of an injection means I don't have to wait for numbness to set in before starting treatment; I can move straight into the procedure.
On top of that, patients rarely call afterward with postoperative pain or complications. It's a better experience for the patient, and a much less stressful one for me too. It also allows me to treat and restore teeth that might otherwise be quite difficult to save, further expanding the range of treatment options I can offer patients in-house.
What do you wish more dentists understood about laser technology?
A lot of dentists hesitate because of the investment or because they're wary of learning something new after years of working with a scalpel and drill. My advice: The learning curve is smaller than people expect, especially if you commit to using the laser daily and building it into your workflow.
I use it all day, every day on almost every patient. I’m still amazed, and I’m going on my 12th year as a Solea dentist. There are also plenty of resources and training available to help dentists and their teams. In my experience, the laser has paid for itself many times over through the efficiency, increased variety of procedures, and ease it has brought to my practice.
Dr. Joshua Weintraub graduated from the University of Maryland Dental School before starting his dental career in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps as a lieutenant in Okinawa, Japan. He spent a year as the dentist to the 2,000 Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, for which he received a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
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