Dentist... Laser vs Ordinary?

So I have to get some dentistry work done that I've been putting off for far too long cause of my tinnitus. I've found some local dentist that also use lasers instead of the usual drill.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Are they quieter than regular drills? I don't mind the pain one bit, since tinnitus the usual pain is a blessing.

I know that it's very difficult with regular drills to reduce the noise since most of the noise is bone conducted and therefore ear plugs wouldn't do much good. You can try this with an electric toothbrush, mine actually sounds louder with the ear plugs!

After my recent spike that's still ongoing I just don't want to deal with any more spikes. So is the laser alternative a better solutions for me. I'm guessing even if the laser is equally as loud I can still be wearing earplugs since there is no bone conduction?

Thanks. I've also attached a poll just because it's fun.

 

I talked to somebody who had it done with laser and the problem is that as soon as the filling is done the dentist needs to file it down for a perfect bite and that can't be done with laser so he drills just like any other dentist would do.... basically you are paying more but still have the drilling/filing of the filling involved. I must say a regular drilling only takes a few minutes and I had it done a lot of times since developing T. It wasn't bad at all.

 

That makes sense, yes. I'm not really worried about the price since it's only slightly more expensive, like 5-10% more so not an issue.

 

I would for sure go with the laser, because the drilling for me now causes serious issues. in the past there was no issue, but my tinnitus has become so bad that drilling will send me over the top, and into a pine box very soon.

 

Back to Top -- Any more T-sufferers first hand accounts of Laser dentistry? (cavities/fillings, crowns, root canals, etc.)?

Especially would like to learn:
1) If the laser is quieter.
2) Sound & loudness experienced if laser also used in place of local injections to numb the nerves:

http://wgntv.com/2015/07/30/alternative-to-the-dreaded-shrill-of-the-dentist-drill/
"It’s a laser that first numbs the tooth.


Dr Errico: “We’ll use a little topical around the gum tissue. So what I tell people with this is you’re going to hear more of a buzz, kind of like a bumble bee. We have a frequency that will be on the tooth and we’ll hold it there for a minute to two minutes and that light energy at a certain frequency will penetrate through to the nerve and confuse it.”


Once the nerve signal to the brain is scrambled, a change in frequency allows Dr Errico to cut through the enamel."
​

 

I am surprised nobody had answered the last poster. You would think that many people would want to minimize the time one has to be exposed to the noise made by the drill...

 

I also would like to hear move about those with T. that receive laser instead of drill. There may be some posting about that if one places 'laser' into search. Things about going to the dentist that I later learnt the hard way are keeping a straight neck, closing your mouth when possible, have drilling five seconds on and ten seconds off. Noise deduction headphones will not give full protection, because sounds inside your mouth have ways to travel to your ears, but wear them anyways.

 

Does the above include noise cancelling headphones like the ones sold by Bose?

 

I have a pair of noise cancelling headphone, but not made by Bose. I will use them driving in heavy traffic or on the highway, but I try to limit the time that I need to use them. Consumers Reports recently did some ratings and I think that one of the BOSE types had top rating.

 

So noone here with any laser dentistry experience?

 

If that's the case, it is very surprising.

 

During my last visit to the dentist where I had an implant placed, I had little drilling. Most of the time a laser was used. I ended up with Somatic tinnitus and hyperacusis.

 

Was this a temporary spike of your existing tinnitus?

 

It's going on five weeks now, steroids didn't help. Magnesium maybe made it worst about a hour after each use. I couldn't get accepted for HBO at my hospital. I should never have told them it was for tinnitus. A clinic told me that they had several cases where HBO didn't work and also had cases where it was worst at the 7 - 14 day mark.

 

I know that many Americans come to Vancouver (Canada) to do their HBOT. It is cheaper here ($150 Canadian = $110 US) per session, and you can tell them that you are trying to do something about your tinnitus...

I am so sorry, Greg...

 

I havent needed any dental work, but if the ultrasonic scaler is a sign of where things might go, having a pneumatic drill eating away at my tooth my T would explode. Laser all the way. Watch a few youtube videos.

 

Dental laser with an outstanding on softtissue.But still have the drilling/filing of the filling involved if you have an implant.
I wish this can help you .

 

Can you tell us anything more?

 

Sorry, what do you mean by "outstanding on soft tissue"?

 

Did you end up having a dental procedure using a laser? Was there any impact on your T?

 

My dentist said that he could use a dental laser to replace a dental filling. I thought that lasers couldn't be used on fillings, but it turns out that this is true only for the older metal fillings. The dentist said that lasers need to run for longer than 5 seconds before they can start cutting through the old filling and the tooth. He won't be able to use the laser for 5 seconds and follow up with a 10-second break. The popping sound made by the laser seems to be more bearable compared to the drill, but it is still somewhat loud.

Has anyone had any experiences with lasers?

 

@Bill Bauer

Here's one of the YouTube videos using a laser. It doesn't sound too bad. Earmuffs might help. You could try it both with and without them.

Composite Filling Material Removal with Dental...

 

Hi Greg - How are you doing now? You said you still had a spike after 5 weeks of a "little drilling" but "Most of the time a laser was used."?

 

@JimChicago I found later that a low speed drill was used that made an eerie sound. I had my eyes closed during the entire procedure. My neck was probably bend. My neck stills hurt. I'm at a 10/10. Thanks for asking.

 

Two weeks ago, I had a dental filling replaced. The dentist used a laser. The laser itself was great - Peltor muffs made the noise very reasonable. During my earlier visit, the dentist told me that the laser could be used on dental fillings. This was true - he used the laser to remove the old filling. Unfortunately he still needed to use a traditional drill to "polish" the filling, and to ensure that the shape of the filling wouldn't lead to the lower tooth always putting pressure on the tooth with the filling. [I have no idea whether he used a regular air-powered drill, or the electric-powered drill that I asked him to use, but that he told me he won't need to use as he would be using a laser.] It was very loud. It sounded the same with and without Peltor muffs. The dentist, all of a sudden, had a problem with drilling for 5 seconds and taking a 10 second break. I paid him $300 for the extra time, but all of a sudden he said that the drill needs time to get up to speed, and that 5 seconds is not enough time. He didn't want to spend the extra 5 minutes, and seemed to be more than willing to take a risk that my T would be louder for the rest of my life. He would continue drilling, even after I would raise my hand for him to stop(!)

In any case, using a laser cuts down on the time during which you have to bear being exposed to the drill. So if you need to have dental work done that involves drilling, find a dentist who has a laser and a electric-powered drill, and who is not an asshole. Pay upfront for the extra time, and make sure to remind the dentist that you paid for the extra time (there is a chance that my dentist had forgotten that I paid for the extra time).

After that dental work, I had a spike for about a day, and a full ear sensation for about two days... It looks like it hasn't caused any long term damage.

 

Wow. You are at about 19 weeks (if I'm counting weeks right) and your T volume is 10 on 10?
And you are not new to T... your profile says you've had it since April 2011.

I'm concerned about conventional drills to hear that a 6 year T veteran reports 10/10 after 19 weeks of conventional drill work.

 

I just visited as a new patient a dentist with a Biolase WaterLase laser.
It was for new patient cleaning and exam - no laser usage. However, he identified a new concern not heard from my prior dentist earlier this year that I need a metal filling replaced.

He says that while the WaterLase laser does work on metal fillings, "it bounces back and can screw-up the fiber optics." And as such, he wants to drill with a conventional drill.

Despite being in the Chicago suburbs, in my 25 mile radius, there are very few dentists with lasers.

• The vast majority of them say they use their lasers only on soft tissue (gums) -- not on hard tissue (teeth).
  
• Of the two Biolase WaterLase dentists near me:
  • One says he very selectively uses WaterLase, hardly ever on hard tissue and never uses it on cavity extraction
  • The other also says he uses WaterLase very selectivity, but will at times use it on cavity extraction. This dentist also says that while the WaterLase laser does work on metal fillings, "it bounces back and can screw-up the fiber optics".
• Then there are 1-2 Pediatric Dentists that have lasers -- I'm unable to learn when/how they use their lasers since I'm an adult.

So my conclusions and inferences so far are:

• Laser equipment is very expense for dentists.
• Laser usage requires some different techniques than that of conventional drills.
• Biolase WaterLase lasers are delicate and highly sensitive to "bounce back" from hard surfaces (teeth, fillings, etc) such that dentists are very leery to use them (i.e., it is costly to fix/maintain the laser). As such dentists prefer to use them on soft tissue only.

 

So I was wondering if anyone on this board had been to a dentist who uses a laser instead of a drill. This is of a lot of interest to me and I need to get some cavities done soon, but I really would like to avoid a drill.

If anyone has had any experiences with this, can you describe how it went? Was it loud or not? Did the procedure help you with your issues and would you do it again? Etc, etc.

 

Just bumping this topic in case anyone has any new information or personal experiences?

 

Hi all,

I am due to visit a dentist for treatment soon for a small cavity.

@LeQuack did you get lasered in the end? Could you report back on it? Anyone else here with any news?

Thanks guys!