Laser Dentistry

There are many reasons for the use of lasers in a dental practice.  Staying ahead when it comes to technology is a goal we insist on maintaining, for we know that improved technology means more patient comfort as well as superior treatment results.  At Belle Meade Family Dentistry, Drs. Pace, Sullivan, and Pace use lasers in our office to remove decay, treat periodontal disease, sculpt gum tissue, clean root canals, minimize bleeding, avoid shots, detect decay, aid wound healing, treat cold sores, perform tissue biopsy, complete frenectomy procedures, and whiten teeth, etc.  Many times our hard tissue lasers can remove the need for the local anesthetic injection.  The laser energy can remove decay and kill bacteria inside the tooth, providing a restoration that holds up over time.  If you need a root canal, our lasers are being used at Belle Meade Family Dentistry in a groundbreaking way to disinfect tooth canal systems and provide the highest chance of long term success.  The procedure stands for Photon Induced Photo acoustic Streaming.  The minimally invasive procedure uses the power of the Er:YAG laser to create photo acoustic shock waves within the cleaning and debriding solutions introduced into the canals.  By using one of endodontic’s newest breakthroughs, Dr’s Pace, Sullivan, and Pace are threeNashvilledentists who are on the cutting edge in regards to performing root canals.  At Belle Meade Family Dentistry, we use soft tissue lasers for a wide variety of treatments.  Lasers can be used to reshape the gum tissue and bone to provide a healthier appearance or a stronger foundation for placement of restorations.  In many instances a gummy smile or the appearance of short teeth can be treated with tissue removal alone, leaving the teeth unaltered.  If you have periodontal disease caused by plaque, calculus, and associated bacteria and you need treatment of deep pockets, we have a new amazingly effective non-surgical treatment technique we provide at Belle Meade Family Dentistry.  WPT or Wavelength-Optimized Periodontal Therapy is a procedure where instead of a knife used to peel the gums away from the bone for cleaning tooth roots, a thin laser quartz, sapphire, or glass fiber is inserted between the teeth and gums to remove the diseased gum tissue, remove the calculus, decontaminate the root surface, and sterilize the pocket.  Additionally, the laser causes minimal swelling and the bonus affect of Nd:YAG biostimulation to aid in healing and preventing post treatment discomfort.  You can watch a video animation of the WPT procedure in our video section.  We encourage you to come to our office at 104 Kenner Avenueand ask us more about all of our lasers and laser treatments.