Laser Dentistry for Oral Lesions in Flint

In the past, you may have resorted to home remedies, chemicals, medications, or topical products to address your oral lesions. As you may recall, these options can be uncomfortable, as well as ineffective. Laser dentistry eliminates your lesions at their source. It also heals quickly. If you’d like to learn more about what causes various types of oral lesions and how they can be treated with laser therapy, continue reading.

Different Types of Oral Lesions

There are many different types of oral lesions – some are common and have no cause for concern, while others are rare and may indicate a more serious problem at work. Let’s explore some of these kinds of lesions.

Canker Sores

Canker sores form near the bottom of the gums, as well as upon any of the soft tissues in your oral cavity. Also called aphthous ulcers, these lesions are common, yet harmless. While they are painful, they usually heal on their own within two weeks. Should you have a canker sore that lasts longer than that, please talk to your dentist.

Cold Sores

Cold sores are a result of the herpes simplex virus. This common viral infection is also referred to as a fever blister. They present as blisters that are full of fluid which appear on or around a patient’s lips. It usually takes two to three weeks for a cold sore to heal. Some patients experience more frequent outbreaks that are more severe.

Hemangiomas

These non-cancerous lesions are birthmarks that are red in color. They appear to be rubbery and contain extra blood vessels. These birthmarks form anywhere on the body. The most frequent places where they appear are the neck, face, scalp or back. In rare cases, hemangiomas can develop in the mouth.

HPV

Lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) are considered to be precancerous. HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease with subtypes that affect the mouth and throat. Oral HPV lesions can form anywhere within the oral cavity and are sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as sore throat, earache, difficulty swallowing, enlarged lymph nodes and more.

Benefits of Laser Treatment for Oral Lesions

Laser dentistry treatment provides a number of advantages when it comes to oral lesions treatment. These advantages include:

• More precision than alternative treatment methods.
• Preserves more healthy tissue within the mouth.
• Utilizes less anesthesia.
• Lessens the amount of trauma to the gum tissue.
• Reduces pain and discomfort.
• Works faster than other kinds of treatments.
• Promotes a faster healing and recovery time.
• Decreases the necessity for prescription medications.

Diagnosing Lesions of the Mouth

Before receiving oral lesions treatment, you need to be properly diagnosed by your dentist. This will be done via a visual examination of your mouth. Your dentist will be looking for bumps, lumps or other abnormalities within the mouth. Depending on what he or she finds, you may need to have clinical photographs and x-rays taken.

Cold sores and canker sores are relatively simple to diagnose. However, if your dentist sees anything concerning, he or she will perform a soft tissue biopsy at the time of your laser therapy. A portion of the affected mouth tissue will be sent off to a pathology lab for a more complete diagnosis.

About the Treatment Process

Before your laser therapy procedure takes place, your dentist will numb the area via the use of a local anesthetic. He or she will then utilize a laser that will be programmed at the correct wavelength so that it only removes the problematic tissue within your mouth, rather than the healthy tissue. The laser will remove the lesion while cauterizing the surrounding area. You will most likely notice immediate pain relief once your laser therapy has been completed.

A Study on Laser Dentistry Treatment for Viral Lesions

Traditionally, viral oral lesions have been treated with topical or systemic medication. An interesting case study written about in Dentistry Today shows how successful laser therapy can be when treating viral lesions.

The case study detailed a 32-year-old male patient’s experience after being diagnosed with an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). When the patient first arrived at the office, he was experiencing a great deal of burning pain along the upper arch of his mouth. This pain and discomfort interfered with his ability to speak, sleep and eat.

During treatment, the patient reported that he felt no pain or discomfort, only a warm feeling within his mouth. After being treated by his dentist with the Epic X diode laser from Biolase, the patient was instructed to come back on the next day to see if a second laser therapy session was necessary.

When the patient returned the next day, he reported that his symptoms were gone and that he was able to eat, speak and sleep normally. Upon his dentist’s examination, it was found that the lesions were less inflamed and had healed significantly.

Contact Family Dental Group to Find Out More

If you’ve been suffering from pain or discomfort from an oral lesion, schedule an appointment with a doctor at Family Dental Group. You can book an appointment online or via the telephone at one of our multiple locations serving the Flint area. Our dentists can assist you in treating your oral lesion via laser therapy. You will be amazed at how quickly this innovative method of oral lesion treatment works.