We try to make every experience here at Lake Baldwin Dental as pleasant as possible. Now we have a new way to keep you comfortable and get you in and out faster than ever before. Meet Solea.
Solea is a laser system that uses CO2 and a special wavelength of green light. We have always used a laser here at LBD for certain procedures, like treating canker sores or contouring overgrown gum tissue. This laser is different. It works on hard and soft tissue, meaning we can now use a laser to do fillings as well.
What does this mean for you as a patient?
No Needle
One of the main complaints I hear about why patients hate getting fillings is the needle. We do minimize the discomfort of a shot as much as possible, but then you still have to walk around for hours afterward with that weird numb feeling in your face.
With Solea, most procedures need no numbing at all. The laser anesthetizes the nerves as it works in the tooth. A small handful of patients may feel some cold sensitivity due to the water involved. If that happens, you just pop a hand up and we can add a few drops of numbing to take the sensitivity down for you. Even in that case, we use far less than we would be able to with traditional methods.
No Drill
So what is that traditional method? The dreaded drill. The sound of the drill is one of the most common triggers for dental fear. We have all built up a less-than-pleasant association with that sound, for one reason or another. The great thing about Solea is that the bulk of your cavity will be removed with no high-pitched whine.
Drills also cause heat from friction, which is part of why we frequently use numbing for a traditional filling. Because Solea is frictionless, it makes it much less likely that you will need numbing, as described above. Our dentists usually like to touch up their work with the drill just a little, but they are merely buffing the edges of the area before putting the filling material in, rather than doing the whole procedure with it.
No Blood
For soft tissue procedures like gum contouring or frenectomy (remember Erzik?), this laser rocks. It cauterizes the tissue as it works, meaning no blood and fast healing. In fact, one of my patients just yesterday was raving about how her gum surgery was completely healed in just one day. She said it was the fastest she has ever healed from that type of procedure.
No Time At All!
Solea has one more perk: it works fast. In fact, most patients say they are in and out in about half the time of a traditional filling. As much as we know you love to be here, we know you need to get on with the rest of your day. Which you’ll be able to do in no time at all, with no nagging numbness.
Not every case is a good match for Solea at this time. However, if your dental health providers here at Lake Baldwin Dental think the laser is a good match for you, you can look forward to a fast and comfortable experience. Keep smiling, Orlando!
For more information about SOLEA, visit their website!
