"I have been a patient of Dr. Shraders for about 30 years and have always had excellent service. Dr. Kim is carrying on that tradition. I have always been a little nervous about dentist appointments and my fears have always been eased by the manner and professionalism of your team. I will alway recommend others to your practice."

Patty Shaughnessey

Laser Dentistry

Laser use in dentistry has many advantages. They can be used for hard tissue (teeth and bone) and soft tissue (gums) procedures. When compared to a traditional drill, lasers can be used to do many fills without the need for anesthetic. Because the area of effect is so precise, we can do precise dentistry without damaging surrounding tissues.

We have both hard and soft tissue lasers in the practice and use them every day for many of our clients. Here are some benefits of laser dentistry:

• Procedures performed using soft tissue dental lasers may not require scalpels or sutures (stitches).
• Laser gum treatment with the Periolase is cleared by the FDA and is much more comfortable than traditional gum surgery.
• Certain laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia.
• Laser dentistry minimizes bleeding because the high-energy light beam aids in the clotting (coagulation) of exposed blood vessels, thus inhibiting blood loss.
• Bacterial infections are minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area being worked on.
• Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized.
• Wounds heal faster and tissues can be regenerated.
• Bond strength with tooth colored fillings can be greatly increased versus traditional drilling.

We have the DIAGNOdent laser which helps with early detection of cavities. Traditional methods of cavity detection are x-rays and clinical examination. While these methods of cavity detection are extremely important they still have their limitations. Often times, because fluoride is so prevalent in our society now, our enamel is stronger than ever. It’s possible that decay can slip into deeper pits and fissures in our teeth and grow from within. Until these hidden cavities get large enough or reach the surface, they can be virtually undetectable. However, with the DIAGNOdent, we can now detect these cavities and treat them before they become too large. If a cavity gets large enough, a simple filling won’t be enough to fix the cavity properly and may need a more expensive crown or onlay. And if detected too late, cavities can lead to root canals and worst case, extraction of the tooth.

The lasers currently in use are the Periolase MVP, Waterlase, Oroscience Diode, and the DIAGNOdent. We now use our lasers daily for cavities, desensitizing sensitive teeth, gum disease treatment, cosmetic gum recontouring, cold sore treatment, and soft tissue removal. Soft tissue procedures with the laser heal much more quickly and with much less discomfort than the scalpel/suture alternative.