0A TRIBUNE | March 2010 DENTAL Rubric DENTAL TRIBUNE | MoNth13A Clinical 2010 www.dental-tribune.com Missed the last edition of Dental Tribune? You can now read some of its content online! TK TK Diode lasers: the soft-tissue handpiece By TK By Fay Goldstep, DDS, FAACD, FADFE Ease of use Early-adopter dentists thrive on new technologies. They enjoy the challenges that come with being the first to use a product. Most dentists, however, are not early adopters. Over the past two decades, lasers have intimidated mainstream dentists with their large footprint, lack TK While dental lasers have been commercially available for several decades, and their popularity among patients is unparalleled, the dental profession has taken to this treatment modality rather slowly. Lasers have been thoroughly documented in the dental literature. They are an exciting technology, widely used in medicine, kind to tissues and excellent for healing. So why have they not been more widely embraced by the practicing dentist? There is a general perception in the profession that somehow the dental laser is not useful, is too complicated and too expensive. These parameters have changed forever with the arrival of the diode laser onto the dental scene. There is now a convergence of documented scientific evidence, ease of use and greater affordability that makes the diode laser a “must have” for every dental practice. DT of portability, their high maintenance profile, confusion about operating tips and complex procedural settings. Common questions include: When do I use which tip? What setting works for which procedure? Why do I need a laser when I have been managing well without one? Implants displaced into the maxillary sinus By Dov M. Almog, DMD, Kenneth Cheng, DDS Enter the diode laser. It is & Mohammad Rabah, DMD compact. It can easily be moved from www.dental-tribune.com/artione treatment room to another. It is cles/content/scope/specialities/ self-contained and does not have to section/implantology/id/542 be hooked up to water or air lines. It Washington cracks down has one simple fiber-optic cable that can tobacco on big be utilized as a reusable By Fred Michmershuizen, g DT page 14A Online Editor www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/id/480 AD Five of the top 10 reasons why associateships fail By Eugene W. Heller, DDS www.dental-tribune.com/ articles/content/id/507/scope/ specialities/region/usa/section/ practice_management ‘Aren’t you that guy on “Extreme Makeover”?’ An interview with the face of modern cosmetic dentistry, Dr. William M. Dorfman By Robin Goodman, Group Editor www.dental-tribune.com/ articles/content/scope/specialities/section/cosmetic_dentistry/ id/543 New smile, new life: Innovative technologies and techniques can transform a smile By Lorin Berland, DDS, FAACD & Sarah Kong, DDS www.dental-tribune.com/ articles/content/scope/specialities/section/cosmetic_dentistry/ id/544 The science behind the laser “Laser” is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Lasers are commonly named for the substance that is stimulated to produce the coherent light beam. In the diode laser, this substance is a semiconductor (a class of materials that are the foundation of modern electronics, including computers, telephones and radios). This innovative technology has produced a laser that is compact and far lower in cost than earlier versions. Much of the research has focused on the 810 nm diode laser. This wavelength is ideally suited for soft-tissue procedures because it is highly absorbed by hemoglobin and melanin. This gives the diode laser the ability to precisely cut, coagulate, ablate or vaporize the target soft tissue.1 Treatment with the 810 nm diode laser (Fig. 1a, Picasso diode laser, AMD LASERS) has been shown to have a significant long-term bactericidal effect in periodontal pockets. A. actinomycetemcomitans, an invasive pathogen associated with the development of periodontal disease and generally quite difficult to eliminate, responds well to laser treatment.2,3 Scaling and root planing outcomes are enhanced when diode laser therapy is added to the dental armamentarium. The patient is typically more comfortable during and after treatment, and gingival healing is faster and more stable.4,5 Here’s some other online content that might be of interest to you … Protective extraoral and reinforced instrumentation strategies By Diane Millar, RDH, MA www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/specialities/ section/dental_hygiene/id/545 Special Operations Forces dental clinic brings smiles to Iraqi children By Jeffrey Ledesma, USA www.dental-tribune.com/ articles/content/id/535/scope/ politics/region/usa Ancient teeth question origin of men By Daniel Zimmermann, DTI www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/news/region/ asia_pacific/id/505