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.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, dentists would use x-rays to see what was going on inside our pearly whites. Today, x-rays are starting to take their place next to cassette tapes and VCRs as digital images steal the spotlight. And for good reason: Among other advantages, digital images are a much cleaner, greener way to go.

To take an x-ray, the dentist places a square piece of film in our mouth, which is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, while we hold real still and get doused with little bits of radiation. Then the dentist or the dental assistant disappears for a bit while the x-rays are processed. They then return with the x-ray in hand to show us what not brushing after every meal has done to us. With digital imaging, the dentist places a simple sensor in our mouth, takes a “picture”, and voila! Everything you ever wanted to know about your teeth pops up on the computer screen in seconds, with our precious selves exposed to a fraction of the radiation.

Now for the real improvement: Traditional film x-rays require an x-ray machine, x-ray film, developer and fixer (both chemicals), lead foil and lead shields. Stay with me here… fixer contains silver and is considered hazardous. The developer is not considered hazardous unless it gets mixed with the fixer. The x-ray developer cleaner may contain Chromium, which is also considered hazardous. Not to mention the lead in the lead aprons and shields. Yikes! I feel contaminated just writing this! Now add all that hazardous waste up and remember that it needs to be disposed of. Somewhere. Somehow.

Other advantages of digital use include:

• No more waiting for x-rays to be “processed”.
• We are subjected to less radiation. No two-headed offspring for us!
• Easy manipulation of the image, such as enlarging it, adjusting contrast and brightness and ability to improve a not-so-great image without having to retake the x-ray.
• Ability to email or place the x-ray on a disc. Great use if you are being referred to a specialist or move out of state.

Not every dentist out there has become a convert of the digital image just yet, and possibly for good reason. After all, it can cost thousands of dollars to make the switch from film to digital imaging and some dentists are perfectly happy with their old technology. But, if you’re a fan of Mother Earth, keep digital technology in mind when searching for a dentist and reading dentist reviews on DoctorBase.

Per the AACD website, “The AACD is dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of cosmetic dentistry and encouraging the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible patient care”. This might be the perfect time for another acronym: WTF?

If I may be so bold as to restate their mission statement in layman’s terms, I’d say their goal is to provide their members with the necessary tools so we, their patients, will receive the best possible care. The AACD wants to make sure we walk out of our dentist’s offices with winning smiles instead of a snaggle-tooth grin. By becoming a member of the AACD, cosmetic dentists gain access to a wide variety of resources and benefits to assist in their professional growth. Some of these benefits include:

• Annual conferences where all the members meet at some fancy shmancy resort that I could never afford to stay at and proceed to be instructed by the top educators in their field. They also get an opportunity to do some fun hands-on training. Who’s up for Veneers?
• Availability of a forum where experts can bounce ideas off of each other and share their knowledge with their peers. Sort of like an AOL chat room, except a lot less fun. And for dentists.
• The most up-to-date dental journals with information regarding the latest research and results.
• Discounts on a variety of dental publications. Who doesn’t like to save a buck?
• So why should you care if your cosmetic dentist is an AACD member? You should care because there are cosmetic dentists out there who graduated from dental school and then made no effort to keep up with the latest technologies and advancements. That could translate into a cosmetic dentist making an abstract art piece out of your mouth instead of a Picasso.

Here is a video of some great cosmetic dentistry before and afters.

By choosing a dentist who belongs to the AACD, you can rest assured your cosmetic dentist has been required to meet the highest standard of service and that they’re committed to continually improving their knowledge and skill set. In other words, no disfigured mouth for you!

Now that one less acronym is a mystery to you and you understand what being a member of the AACD means, you’re better equipped to evaluate which cosmetic dentist is right for you. YMMV.