Advantages of diode laser | Disadvantages of diode laser
This page covers advantages and disadvantages of diode laser in dentistry to cut soft tissues. It mentions benefits or advantages of diode laser and drawbacks or disadvantages of diode laser.
Introduction: LASER is the short form of "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation". Most of the soft tissue and hard tissue procedures are achievable using laser technology which include cutting of tissues, cavity preparation, periodontal plastic surgery, wisdom tooth extraction etc. Lasers provide control over its operating paramaters e.g. pulse energy, pulse frequency, pulse duration, pulse relaxation etc.
What is diode laser?
There are different types of lasers. The common among them used in dentistry are diode laser, CO2 laser, YAG laser, ErYAG laser, ErCrYSGG laser, HolYAG laser etc. YAG family of lasers operate from 2100 to 2940 nm range. CO2 laser operates at 10600 nm wavelength. Laser wavelength of about 810 to 980 nm is used in dentistry by diode laser.
Diode laser or laser diode or injection laser diode is a semiconductor device. It is similar to LED (Light Emitting Diode). It works on the principle that when a diode is pumped directly with electrical current, it creates lasing conditions at the junction of a diode. Diode laser directly converts electrical energy into light.
The figure-1 depicts use of diode laser in implant recovery procedure. The light with specific wavelengths as mentioned above are absorbed in certain tissues. Diode laser light is used with 200 micron fibre which is equivalent to width of 20K file. The diode laser can be used instead of scalpel in the second stage of surgery.
Benefits or advantages of diode laser
Following are the benefits or advantages of diode laser in dentral service.
➨It can be used near implants compare to electrosurgery due to low heat generation and lack of electric conduction.
➨Laser cuts precisel and effects haemostatis.
➨It minimizes pain and swelling.
➨If used wisely, it does not injure dental pulp in the mouth.
➨It can be used around full metal, around amalgam, metal bars etc.
➨It does not harm hard tissues in the mouth during dental surgery.
➨Patients are well aware of it due to its wide spread use in LASIK i.e. eye surgery or vision correction based on laser. Hence they are comfortable during diode laser based surgery.
Drawbacks or disadvantages of diode laser
Following are the drawbacks or disadvantages of diode laser:
➨Initial investment is expensive compare to electrosurgery.
➨Practitioners must require to learn use of this due to dangers of laser.
➨It performs cutting much slower compare to electrosurgery.
➨Large pieces of soft tissue requires more time to cut.
➨Electrosurgery or scalpel techniques perform surgery faster than diode laser technique.
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