The invention of the laser has had as much of an impact in central London as the computer. It’s used in all walks of life, from engineering, to lighting displays through to medical procedures. So, it was only a matter of time before it found its way into the dentist’s surgery, in the form of Waterlase. Traditional drilling produces vibration and can lead to minute cracks in the teeth and generates a lot of heat in the process whereas laser surgery is extremely precise an accurate and eliminates all of these problems with one very attractive bonus- it’s very fast and almost painless, hence eliminating the need for anaesthetics. Using a laser to treat decayed areas in the mouth virtually eliminates bleeding and post surgery damage. It is perfect for cavity and root canal treatment doing the job of a drill with more accuracy and far less stresses on the surrounding tooth. Waterlase is also becoming more widely used in dental implant surgery, allowing the implant to be placed precisely, causing minimal damage to the surrounding gum tissue and shortening healing times. Finally, a laser also eliminates the need of a scalpel that can seriously cause damage to gum tissue, thus making it perfect for gum contouring to eliminate the gummy smile.

Most children fear to go to their dentist for regular checkups, especially when they require some dental procedures. The environment produced by the unpleasant sound and the memories of pain they had to endure in the past are the factors causing this phobia. Now, by the arrival of a pain-free and quiet technology, Moms and dads of London are happy that their kids are no longer scared of their dental appointments.  Most of the clinics in London have now started using the latest technique in dentistry instead of the standard drilling machine for dental procedures. The technique used is air abrasion. This painless procedure is non-time-consuming and child-friendly too. The major advantage of this procedure is that there is no need of any analgesics. This technique is useful in treating small cavities and there is no need to drill any healthy parts of the tooth. This machine does not make any heat, sound, or vibration and you will feel only the air pressure in your mouth. This technique is also called microabrasion in which dentists can remove decayed parts of a tooth without even touching it. Here, a stream of air or compressed gas mixed with aluminium oxide, silica, or baking soda is directed to the decayed part of the tooth through a handpiece and the decayed tooth part is blown away. The decayed parts are then suctioned out. During this procedure no sound, heat, or vibration is produced, much to the relief of children. Before starting the procedure, your dentist may cover your eyes with protective eye wear and also cover the other teeth with a rubber sheet or apply protective resin on them. It is helpful in treating shallow cavities and helps in removing stains or discolorations and removing old composite restorations. The dust particles accumulated in the mouth during air abrasion is removed by suctioning or washing with water. After the treatment, composite resins can be used to fill the cavities. This procedure also helps to repair broken bridges and crowns, and chipped or fractured teeth. However, air abrasion cannot be used for amalgam fillings, porcelain fillings, and for deep cavities.