Most people in the UK will develop gum disease in one form or another, and the painful condition can lead to extensive tooth loss if it is not dealt with properly in the early stages. While periodontitis may be a worry for some of us, the hope is that a new dental laser could be the answer to serious gum disorders.
Waterlase is a treatment that involves spraying a mixture of water and air into the mouth, then a laser causes the water molecules to explode, destroying diseased tissue and cleaning away bacteria. This might sound painful, but it can actually be used without the need for local anaesthetic as the laser doesn’t come into contact with the body.
Jackie Cooper, of distribution company Henry Schien, said that the process is ‘painless’, despite the fact that most people associate lasers with heat; according to Jackie all the patient will be aware of is ‘’a harmless popping in their mouths as the water molecules explode.’ Dentist Rana Al-Falaki of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, was also singing its praises, saying she is able to remove much more tartar and bacteria than with previous methods, and adding that patients who would previously have been referred for invasive surgery can now take advantage of a much easier procedure using Waterlase. The price for this type of treatment is generally between £700 and £900, for an entire mouth procedure.