I have had a laser for a while and have found it very useful for gently doing minor gum procedures without cutting or sutures.
I had a patient come in last week who had been up all night with pain. Her lower back tooth had chipped and left a sharp edge. It wasn’t the tooth that was hurting her, it was the tongue! She had a large ulcer and every time she swallowed, the pain was intense.
I wanted to help her. Ointment would only help for minutes. Numbing her would only give her a few hours of relief. She and I were both desperate for an answer.
It was then that I remembered reading an article by a dentist from Arizona who had success using a laser at a very low setting to desensitize an ulcer. The technique was to wave it near the ulcer in circles like a wand, but not touching it.
I tried it. Magic! Her pain went from a “10” to a “3”! I did it one more time and it went to a 0. I couldn’t believe it! It works by dulling the surface nerve endings. The ulcer will still run its course, but without pain and all feeling is restored.
There’s now one more doctor and one more patient that believe in the magic of laser desensitization.
Recent Comments