5 Fun Facts About the Waterlase and EPIC Lasers Your Kids Will Want to Know

You’ll love laser dentistry.

When you think of lasers, what comes to mind? Maybe a super cool gadget you saw in a sci-fi movie or comic, a fun game of laser tag, or even that little red laser light you use to play with your cat. Lasers are used for all sorts of different things, but you might not know that this type of technology is also used in dentistry!

That’s right. Your very own dentist at Spinnaker can use dental lasers to help you take care of your smile! We have two different types of dental lasers here in our office: the Waterlase and the Epic laser. Each of these lasers has different uses and depending on what we’re doing during your appointment, we might use one or both.

Here are a few facts about our dental lasers that we think you’ll find really interesting!

1. Dental lasers are way quieter than a dental drill.

Have you had a cavity filled at a different dentist and the tool they used made a lot of noise? Dental drills are not only noisy, but they can also make your face feel like it’s shaking, which can feel pretty uncomfortable. Your dentist at Spinnaker can use a dental laser instead of more traditional tools if you have a cavity! Dental lasers are really quiet and they won’t vibrate your teeth and face.

2. Your dentist can be super precise with a dental laser.

Dentists love dental lasers not just because they look high-tech, but because they let them do their job much more easily. Your dentist can be really precise with a dental laser and work on only the parts of your teeth that need help without touching anything else. The more easily your dentist can help you, the better your teeth will feel after a visit. You’ll also recover faster after you get home!

3. Dental lasers help make treatment visits quicker.

Since dental lasers are really precise and effective, appointments are often over more quickly than if traditional tools were used. The precision and gentleness of dental lasers also mean that you might not even need to be numbed before your dentist takes care of your teeth. That helps save additional time. With dental lasers, you’ll be in and out of your appointment before you know it.

4. You’ll feel comfortable and relaxed with a dental laser.

You only usually see a dentist a couple of times a year, so sometimes it’s easy to feel a bit worried or anxious during an appointment, especially if you need something like a tooth filling. If you ever feel a bit nervous about visits to the dentist, you can feel more confident knowing dental lasers will be used whenever possible. Dental lasers are surprisingly gentle and small, and their unique quietness (see point #1) means you’ll feel much more comfortable in your dentist’s chair. You might even find yourself relaxing and enjoying having your teeth taken care of.

5. You’ll feel better faster after a laser dentistry visit.

Sometimes dentist appointments can make you feel pretty tired and sore. For example, you might have a bad cavity that needs help so you won’t have a toothache anymore. Or maybe you have an old baby tooth that needs to come out. Laser dentistry technology makes these appointments go by smoothly, in less time, and all while keeping you much more comfortable. Your dentist will be able to use minimal numbing so your face won’t feel as puffy or funny after a visit. You’ll also heal faster with laser dentistry, and your tooth or gums won’t feel as swollen.

Your dentist can teach you more about dental lasers and other cool dentistry tools.

Dr. Cooper and Dr. Day are excited to offer some of the coolest dental tools and equipment to kids in Salem, OR! In addition to our two dental lasers, we also use digital X-rays, air abrasion, CariFree products, and you can even see inside your own mouth with our intraoral cameras.

During your next visit with us, ask us about our dental lasers and any other interesting-looking tools you might see in our office. We love to answer questions and teach kids about modern dentistry, including what technology we use to help them get healthy, happy smiles.

If your child is due for a checkup or cleaning, you can book an appointment right now by calling our office or requesting a visit online.