Laser Dentistry for Oral Lesions in Chesapeake, VA

Laser dentistry has eliminated ineffective or uncomfortable forms of treatment such as home remedies, medications, topical products, and chemicals. It rids your mouth of the lesion while also promoting a faster healing process. The entire experience is much more comfortable than alternative oral lesion treatment methods. Now, it’s time to educate yourself on the various types of oral lesions and how laser dentistry treatment can help.

What Types of Oral Lesions Are There?

Did you know that there are several different types of oral lesions that you can be diagnosed with? Many of them are harmless and aren’t anything to worry about. Some, however, are quite rare and could be cause for concern. Let’s find out more about the different kinds of lesions.

Canker Sores

This particular type of lesion appears around the base of your gums, as well as anywhere within the mouth where there is soft tissue. Also known as aphthous ulcers, canker sores are painful, yet harmless. If your canker sore doesn’t go away after a period of approximately two weeks, let your dentist know.

Cold Sores

This type of lesion presents as a fluid-filled blister on or near the lips. Also known as fever blisters, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are a relatively common viral infection. In most instances, they go away after a period of two to three weeks. Some people are more prone to developing cold sores than others, and these people may have more severe outbreaks.

Hemangiomas

These bright red birthmarks are non-cancerous lesions that are comprised of extra blood vessels and are rubbery in appearance. Hemangiomas develop anywhere on the body, but they most often occur on the neck, face, scalp or back. In rare cases they can form within the oral cavity.

HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that has over 100 strains known to be in existence. Some of these strains can affect your mouth and throat. Lesions caused by HPV occur anywhere in your mouth. They can cause symptoms such as sore throats, difficulty swallowing, enlarged lymph nodes and earaches. Since HPV causes healthy cells to turn into abnormal cells, oral HPV lesions are considered to be precancerous and must be taken off in order to prevent them from growing.

What Are the Benefits of Laser Treatment for Oral Lesions?

There are many benefits to treating oral lesions with laser therapy. This kind of treatment offers the following benefits:

• Better precision than other options, preserving most of the healthy tissue.
• Requires the use of less anesthesia.
• Decreases gum tissue trauma.
• Reduces discomfort and pain during the treatment process.
• Is faster than other treatment options.
• Helps promote faster healing times.
• Decreases the need for medications to be prescribed.

How Do I Know What Kind of Oral Lesion I Have?

Before you receive any kind of oral lesions treatment, you will need to be diagnosed by a dentist. Your dentist will perform a thorough examination of your oral cavity to see if there are any lumps, bumps or abnormalities that could indicate a serious problem. Depending on the results of your visual examination, your dentist may order clinical photographs or x-rays to be taken.

In the majority of cases, patients are easily diagnosed with lesions such as cold sores or canker sores. If the dentist notices any abnormalities, he or she will most likely perform a soft tissue biopsy and send a tissue sample to a pathology lab. This is usually done at the same time as your laser dentistry treatment is performed.

How Mouth Lesions Are Treated

Once the exact nature of your oral lesion has been diagnosed, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to numb any pain or discomfort you may feel throughout your treatment. The dental laser used to excise the lesion from your mouth will be programmed to the correct wavelength, ensuring that the healthy tissue surrounding the lesion remains in place. Many patients report an immediate relief from their pain after receiving an oral lesions treatment.

How Laser Dentistry Can Treat Viral Lesions: A Case Study

In times past, viral lesions of the mouth were treated with medications that were taken orally or applied topically. A recent case study appearing in Dentistry Today outlined how successful laser dentistry for oral lesions can be in cases where a patient has a lesion caused by a virus.

In the case study, a 32-year-old male patient visited his dentist with complaints of a burning pain within the upper dental arch. Upon examination, the dentist diagnosed the patient with an outbreak of the herpes simplex virus. This outbreak was causing disruption to the patient’s sleeping, eating and speaking habits.

The viral lesions were treated via the use of the Biolase Epic X diode laser. While being treated, the patient experienced no pain or burning. After the treatment was completed, he was instructed to return the following day.

When the patient returned to the office, he reported that the pain and discomfort he had felt the day before was gone. He could now sleep, eat and speak normally. An examination performed by the dentist found that the lesion was significantly healed and was not as inflamed as it had been prior to receiving treatment.

Find Out More by Contacting Konikoff Dental Associates Cedar Road

There’s no need to suffer from the pain of any kind of oral lesion. To make an appointment with one of our top-notch doctors at Konikoff Dental Associates Cedar Road, call or book online. We have many locations that serve the Chesapeake area.