Laser Dentistry

At Chestnut Family Dentistry, Dr. Wendy Willoughby, Dr. Teresa Bare and our team do everything we can to give you the best possible care using cutting-edge technology and the latest in dental advancements. We are proud to feature laser dentistry in our office, allowing us to offer specialized therapies and advanced care to meet your needs. Laser dentistry also allows our dentists to improve the comfort and efficiency of more routine services – for example, we can even offer dental fillings with little to no anesthetic by using lasers rather than traditional techniques!

Our laser dental treatments include:

• Fotona® Laser
• NightLase® For Snoring & Sleep Apnea
• Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBM)
• Soft Tissue Laser

What Is Laser Dentistry?

Laser dentistry refers to any time our team uses dental lasers to make your treatment more comfortable and effective. The versatility of our in-office lasers means almost any visit to our office could be a visit with laser dentistry! Our dentists may recommend laser dentistry to help make any of the following more efficient:

• Recontouring the gumline, also known as crown lengthening.
• Removing damaged of decaying portions of a tooth.
• Treating periodontal disease by removing infected tissue and harmful bacteria.
• Treating cold and canker sores.
• Speeding up teeth whitening treatments and decreasing sensitivity afterwards.
• Removing unwanted composite restorations.
• Removing a ceramic crown before a root canal treatment.
• Performing soft tissue surgeries such as a frenectomy, a gingivectomy or a gingivoplasty.
• Performing excisional biopsies.
• Sterilizing sockets after extraction to decrease the risk of infection.
• Treating temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and migraines.
• Providing snoring and sleep apnea treatments.
• Making pediatric visits more comfortable for your child.

Dr. Wendy Willoughby, Dr. Teresa Bare and our team have all been trained in the use of laser dentistry for these procedures, and Dr. Wendy Willoughby plans on continuing her training in advanced periodontal therapy, NightLase® treatments and other procedures.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Dentistry?

Laser dentistry can make many of the dental treatments offered at traditional practices more comfortable and in some cases, can even eliminate the need for anesthetic. Because of their efficiency, dental lasers also shorten the time it takes to complete and heal from your treatment. Lasers also minimize bleeding during and after treatment, targeting precise areas of the mouth to avoid affecting healthy surrounding tissue and decrease the risk of infection following treatment.

These dental lasers are particularly beneficial during pediatric visits, as they allow our dentists to offer treatments without anesthetic, eliminating the need for needles and the risk of your little ones accidentally biting their numb cheek or tongue.

Photobiomodulation Therapy

Laser therapy is able to reduce the pain and inflammation of your procedure because of a process known as photobiomodulation (PBM). By harnessing PBM, previously known as low-level laser therapy, dental lasers are able to promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation and encourage analgesia, the natural inability to feel pain, wherever their light beams are aimed. This makes laser therapy especially helpful for treating TMJ disorders, chronic migraines and bruxism while supporting nerve healing, increasing collagen production and decreasing wound healing time by up to 50%.

To learn more about laser dentistry in Asheville, North Carolina, and how our team can use it to improve your visit to our office, call our team at 828-255-0936 and schedule your visit today. We look forward to seeing you soon!