Convergence News Network reporter Hu Zhaoxin/Reporting from Taipei

Periodontal disease is an oral problem faced by many people. With the advancement of science and technology, treatment methods have evolved from traditional ultrasonic scaling machines to diode lasers, etc. However, they are still prone to side effects. Until the emergence of water lasers that cannot easily conduct heat energy and concentrate it into deep tissues, periodontal disease treatment has finally become a method that is both effective and comfortable. Dentists point out that there are now treatments that combine water laser, one-stage full-mouth periodontal disease treatment and digital dental technology, achieving one-day full-mouth laser periodontal disease treatment.

Ye Liwei, a specialist in periodontics and dental implants at Modern Dental Medical System, said that traditional periodontal disease treatment uses ultrasonic scalers and periodontal scrapers. The initial treatment usually takes one and a half to three months to complete. In addition, local anesthesia is required, and there is a lot of vibration or noise from the instruments during the operation. Using periodontal scrapers is more likely to bleed, and gum recession will be more obvious. Many people complain about tooth root sensitivity after surgery, and treat periodontal disease treatment as a daunting prospect.

Entering the era of laser treatment, early dental laser equipment such as diode lasers, Nd:YAG or CO2 lasers use special wavelengths of light to concentrate heat energy to produce high-temperature sterilization effects. However, diode lasers and Nd:YAG are deep-penetrating lasers, and careless operation can easily cause side effects of alveolar bone necrosis. They lack a cooling mechanism and are relatively easy to cause damage to tissues around the periodontal area.

Ye Liwei pointed out that the water laser that has appeared in recent years has become the first choice of many patients because it has the advantages of being quiet and low-noise, with low treatment pressure; removing inflamed tissue while effectively sterilizing, reducing bleeding, and making the wound smaller; the treatment is low-pain, reducing the use of local dental anesthetics; it stimulates the repair of healthy tissue, accelerates healing, and reduces postoperative discomfort. In addition, because water laser is minimally invasive and safe, it is suitable for patients with systemic diseases such as diabetes or those taking anticoagulants.

Doctors shared that the energy converted by water laser light energy not only has the ability to remove dental calculus, but also has the effect of effective laser sterilization, stimulating tissue activation, shortening recovery time and reducing swelling. Judging from credible medical research reports from various countries, water laser can effectively assist traditional periodontal disease treatment, make up for the shortcomings of traditional periodontal disease treatment, and can even treat periodontal disease alone.

"Judging from my experience in treating periodontal disease, water laser treatment for periodontal disease does have good results in terms of post-operative recovery and reduction of gum swelling." Ye Liwei said that water laser is a superficial type of laser, which is not easy to conduct heat energy into deep tissues and is highly safe. However, the price of new water lasers is high, and the equipment cost is nearly ten times that of traditional lasers. Currently, there are only two types of lasers that can be called water lasers, namely Er:YAG laser (wavelength: 2940nm) and Er,Cr:YSGG laser (wavelength: 2780nm).

Ye Liwei said that as early as 1995, a research team of Belgian scholars proposed the concept of "one-stage full-mouth periodontal disease treatment." In order to avoid bacterial infection or transfer in the mouth, causing periodontal disease recurrence, it is recommended to complete the full-mouth periodontal treatment within 24 hours. However, using traditional treatment methods using ultrasonic scalers and periodontal scrapers, one-stage full-mouth treatment is laborious for both doctors and patients, and is prone to significant postoperative discomfort.

Now with the water laser treatment option, doctors can complete the full-mouth periodontal disease treatment in one day, which not only reduces the time and frequency of consultations, but also accelerates healing through the water laser. There is rarely postoperative swelling, pain, bleeding or obvious postoperative discomfort. Normally, you can eat normally after treatment, which is a great boon for periodontal disease patients.

【Photo credit:Modern Dental Implant Center】
【Source of article reprint:Convergence News Network】
【Original source:Dr. Ye Liwei】