Laser Dentistry on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

Laser Dentistry |

Video

Anne Kelly

1/1/2009

If you`re sick of glasses you can turn to laser eye surgery. If you want to get rid of a tattoo, lasers can help zap it off. And now, many dental patients are relying on lasers to help them avoid what`s long been known as a painful procedure.

Connie Backhaus has had gum disease for most of her adult life. As a result, nearly 20 years ago she had to go under the knife for treatment.

"They actually cut everything open and went down inside and sanded down the bone and then they had to stitch all the gums back up, and yeah, it was a very painful time," says Backhaus.

A painful time she wants to avoid having to experience ever again if possible. So when she heard there was a less invasive way she could keep her gums in check she jumped on it.

It`s called laser assisted periodontal therapy. It`s been in Bismarck for less than a year and while it doesn`t substitute the need for periodontal surgery in extreme cases of gum disease, it has the ability to save people with moderate gum disease from going through surgery.

That`s because the laser reduces the size of unhealthy gum pockets.

"This laser and this laser tip is very smart, it will be attracted to unhealthy tissue once we do that," says Beckie Waldy, a dental hygienist. "It will leave healthy tissue alone and only go to tissue that`s inflamed or red or irritated. That unhealthy tissue will stick to the tip and come off, but leaving the healthy layer underneath."

"The laser will then will also get ride of some of the bacteria deep down into the socket," says Dr. Everett Heringer, a cosmetic dentist.

All while stimulating your gums to heal from the bottom up. It`s a relatively painless process. That`s done through several visits...

"It`s very comfortable," says Backhaus. "I mean, I had a little bit of aching the first night and that`s it."

A little bit of aching and a good chance she`s free from surgery for the rest of her life. IF she keep up with good dental care.

Dr. Everett Heringer`s clinic in Bismarck is the only clinic in the area that offers the laser assisted periodontal therapy. The procedure is often covered by insurance.

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