Something revolutionary has worked its way into dental offices around the world, and its name is Waterlase.  Write it down. This is a name you won’t want to forget.

The Waterlase system, invented by Biolase, acts like a drill and scalpel but has no sharp edges and doesn’t even touch your tooth. That’s right, I said it, it doesn’t even touch your tooth! What does touch your tooth? Water. Waterlase is a comfy combination of a laser beam and water.  A variety of dental procedures are now being performed with a laser instead of the traditional and often painful drill and scalpel. That means no more novacaine injections, and just as importantly, no sippy cup for that post-dentist drink.

How is it possible that our dentists can now fill our filings and root our root canals with a simple stream of H2O? Easy. The system uses a very accurate stream of water that is energized by the laser to cut through tissue or tooth. It sounds sci-fi but I promise you it’s the real deal. Biolase has even come out with a “Turbo” version of this technology.  If turbo means I get in and out of my appointment quicker, I’ll take two!

Can Waterlase be used for all dental procedures? Not quite. For example, Waterlase can’t be used to remove silver fillings. But Waterlase can be used to perform a variety of dental procedures, such as:

Treating mild to moderate periodontal disease
Remove decay
Fillings
Root canals

All of this with little or no pain. No more needles, no more vibration or heat or loud drilling noises. Believe me when I say, the face of dentistry is changing.

In 1998, Waterlase was the first device of it’s kind to receive FDA approval for use on soft and hard tissue. You might be doing the calculations in your head. 1998… 2010…hmm… Don’t ask me why you haven’t heard of this before, ask your dentist.  Or better yet, use DoctorBase to find a dentist schooled in this technology and be on your way to a fast, easy and painless dental procedure.

For more information on pain-free dental visits, you might enjoy How to Achieve a Pain-Free Dental Visit.

Check out this great video about Waterlase technology:

If you’re a dentist who has used Waterlase to treat patients, please enlighten us all by leaving a comment regarding your experience with this technology.