The Archer Dental Blog
Why Choose a Laser Dentist for Implant Surgery
Dental implants are the modern solution to replace missing teeth, and laser dentists, like Dr. Anton Zhadovich, are becoming the number one choice for placing dental implants. Lasers offer many clinical advantages over traditional scalpels and blades. They provide patients with a less painful treatment experience and allow dentists to achieve greater precision, essential for improving the quality of implant surgery.
Dental lasers are medical devices that use precisely focused light to treat tissue. They are safe and used in various medical procedures, including TMJ pain relief therapy, sunspot removal, cold sore treatment, teeth whitening, gum disease treatment, and many cosmetic procedures.
In this article, you will learn everything about laser treatments and implants: how laser dentistry can help people considering dental implants, how laser therapy can assist patients with existing implants, what peri-implantitis is, how lasers benefit patients with failing implants due to peri-implantitis, and why choosing a laser dentist for implant surgery is advantageous.
What Are the Benefits of Lasers During Implant Surgery?
Compared to traditional dental tools, lasers are considered safer and gentler. They allow oral surgeons and dentists to accomplish more complex tasks by providing precision, reducing blood loss, decreasing postoperative discomfort, lowering the risk of wound infection, and promoting better wound healing, enabling patients to resume smiling as soon as possible.
What Are Failing Implants?
Dental implants can fail in a small percentage of patients, often due to various reasons. Symptoms of failing dental implants include:
- Difficulty chewing
- Gum inflammation
- Gum recession
- Gum swelling
- Loosening of an implant or replaced tooth
- Severe pain or discomfort
What Are Peri-implant Diseases?
Peri-implantitis is inflammation surrounding dental implants that destroys soft tissues around the implant, leading to a loss of supporting bone. This inflammatory process can cause bleeding, deepened pockets, and the collection of pus between the gum and the bone.
Risk factors for peri-implantitis are similar to those for periodontitis and include poorly controlled diabetes, smoking, poor oral hygiene, and a previous history of periodontal disease. Approximately one-third of all patients who receive implants will experience peri-implantitis. The best way to treat it is to focus on infection control, eliminating bacteria on implant surfaces, tissue regeneration, and implementing plaque control regimes through mechanical debridement. Laser treatment for peri-implantitis is innovative and proven to be effective.
How Does Laser Peri-implantitis Treatment Work?
When managing peri-implantitis, dentists typically focus on infection control, detoxification of implant surfaces, tissue regeneration, and plaque control regimens. Laser treatment can achieve most of these objectives. The Er:YAG laser is used to remove microbial composition on the implant without damaging it and to treat damaged bone tissue around the implant. Following Er:YAG treatment, the Nd:YAG laser is used to reduce bacteria and promote biostimulation. Laser treatment is suitable for both peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.
What to Expect During Laser Treatment of Peri-implantitis?
Step 1: The Er:YAG laser is used to selectively remove granulation tissue, effectively cleaning the implant surface without chemicals or significant alterations to the surrounding bone.
Step 2: The Nd:YAG laser promotes faster healing by decontaminating and stimulating tissue regeneration, treating inflammation, swelling, and bleeding of soft-tissue lesions. This step can be performed without surgery, ensuring greater long-term implant success.
Traditional vs. Laser Treatment
Laser therapy for peri-implantitis encourages wound healing by stimulating mitochondria in cells to produce energy, which helps wounds heal faster. Additionally, lasers seal blood vessels, reducing bleeding and improving visibility and the speed and accuracy of the procedure.
Dental lasers offer an effective alternative to traditional treatments for peri-implantitis. Traditional removal of affected tissues (mechanical debridement) can be invasive and ineffective, particularly in cases with difficult access. Laser therapy can decontaminate implant threads, detoxify bacterial growth on the implant's surface, and remove diseased tissue non-invasively.
In cases of advanced peri-implantitis, where bone loss and implant failure occur, traditional treatments require invasive procedures and bone grafting. These procedures can result in significant pain and a prolonged healing period. Laser therapy offers a less invasive and more patient-friendly alternative.