COMMON DENTAL HYGIENE PROCEDURES WITH LASERS
BY LISA DOWST-MAYO, RDH

Lasers can be used in every specialty of dentistry and for a wide range of procedures.
Since this article is focusing on laser use specific to dental hygiene, I am going to
focus on soft tissue procedures. Dental hygienists all over the world use lasers for
various procedures, depending on their state’s/country’s laws.1,11,15
Pit and fissure sealants — The laser light disinfects the grooves to prevent
contamination, which aids in sealant placement.

Adjunct to scaling and root planing procedures — Laser light helps decontaminate pockets,
decreasing the numbers of periodontal pathogens and removing diseased or granulation
tissue. The laser light is effective in eliminating dark-pigmented bacteria, which is the
primary bacteria we are trying to eliminate in periodontal disease.

Aphthous ulcer treatment — This is achieved by a process known as biostimulation. You do
not make direct contact with your target tissue when you biostimulate. The laser fiber is
held a couple of millimeters away from the ulcer on the tissue. You direct the laser
energy at the ulcer and the patient will start to feel immediate pain relief. The ulcer
will heal almost overnight and some research claims if you biostimulate an area one time,
another ulcer will never appear in that area again. It is thought the laser energy
increases collagen growth, and osteoblastic and fibroblastic activity. This leads to rapid
wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects in the tissue.

Whitening — Laser photons initiate a photochemical activator and increase the enamel
response to hydrogen peroxide.2
Decay prevention — Lasers are thought to increase the enamel uptake of fluoride ions.3,20
This is not FDA approved as of yet for caries prevention.14 It is believed the laser will
help fuse the inorganic components of enamel and vaporize the organic components, thus
producing a less porous surface that is more resistant to demineralization.