Springfield dentist opts for water laser technology
COMMENT: Would you consider laser treatment?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Springfield, Ohio — If you love the sound of a dentist drill, you might want to cancel your appointment with Gary Thomas.
The Springfield dentist is the first in Clark County to use water laser technology to lessen or eliminate the need for anesthesia and drills for the majority of dental work.
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Thomas purchased the Waterlase dental laser last month.
"Right now I'm using (the laser) six or seven times a day," Thomas said from his office on East Home Road. "I can see myself using it a dozen times a day easily."
Annette Bauer, of Urbana, is the only Champaign County dentist to have a Waterlase.
The machine uses a laser and water to cut tissue, enamel and bone without the heat and vibration associated with conventional drills, according to company literature. In most cases patients do not need shots, can have multiple procedures done in one visit and can leave the office without a "just-left-the-dentist drool."
Thomas used the laser on Jessi Shafer of Springfield last week. Shafer was having some muscle removed from along her gumline— a procedure that would normally require injections, substantial bleeding, and the need to place sutures, Thomas said.
Shafer admitted she was nervous as she reclined in the dentist chair. Thomas told her to wave her left arm if she felt any discomfort.
She gave him a thumbs' up instead.
"I didn't feel a thing," she said as soon as she removed a cotton ball from the wound site. "I wouldn't have been nervous at all if I knew it was going to be like this."
Thomas then repaired a filling for James Valentine, also of Springfield. Valentine said he used to call getting a filling "roto-rooter." He called the laser experience "a piece of cake."
Not everyone is eligible for laser, Thomas said. Metal filling work, for example, cannot be done with a laser.
The machine is a substantial investment — around $85,000 retail. Thomas said he has yet to decide how he will bill for its use.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.
Comments
By lisa fitzwater
May 15, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this
Yes I would do anything to lessen the pain of dental work. Who wouldnt? It would also help people go to the dentist more and not wait until they are in real trouble with their teeth. Another factor is money, dental work is expensive with dental insurance let alone without. I had a dentist tell me just a couple months ago that I should not have waited so long to see him, I told him you guys should not charge so much!!!
By William
May 15, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Certainly, if it means no drills or needles. Best thing he could have done for his practice.