Lasers spark a beaming smile

Having a laser shot to your mouth as you lay on your back in a large chair seems like a scene from a James Bond film, but nowadays you’re more likely to witness this slice of science fiction in a dental surgery.

Laser surgery conjures up words that usual thoughts of dentistry never will: Quick and painless, and is making the option for cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening, more accessible to the everyday person.

Pyrmont dentist Dr Lawrence Lau, of Sydney Laser Dental, started using laser dentistry over a year and a half ago, and is still one of the few dentists in Australia to have taken up the technology, despite its popularity in the U.S.

“Not a day goes by without a patient saying ‘That was the most painless experience I’ve ever had with a dentist,’” said Dr Lau, who added that laser dentistry allowed him to explore procedures he wouldn’t normally be able to do more of.

“We are doing more and more cosmetic dentistry nowadays, compared to before,” he said. Dr Lau was even able to improve a young boy’s speech by correcting his tongue-tie using lasers.

Forget the nerve-wracking sound of a drill boring away at your teeth, or the invasive probe of a needle. Lasers can be used in just about any procedure, from inserting fillings to route canal surgery.

Head to www.sydneylaserdental.com.au or call 9660 3988 for more information on laser dentistry