Document Detail


Lasers in dentistry: separating science from hype.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15005437     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: During the last two decades, much has been written in both the scientific literature and the popular press about lasers and their use in the dental office. Both soft- and hard-tissue applications have been discussed, including frenectomy, gingival contouring, caries removal and bleaching. OVERVIEW: Almost one-third of patients surveyed by the American Dental Association in the late 1990s thought it was very important that their dentists have lasers, which could put pressure on dentists to invest in this tool to attract patients. The authors describe the different types of dental lasers and examine the science behind their applications in dentistry. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although lasers do have legitimate uses in dentistry, they do not take the place of any of the more conventional tools in the dentist's armamentarium. Before investing in a laser, dentists should fully understand the differences between the various types, including what the scientific literature says about their applications.
Authors:
Douglas N Dederich; Ronald D Bushick; ;
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)     Volume:  135     ISSN:  0002-8177     ISO Abbreviation:  J Am Dent Assoc     Publication Date:  2004 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-03-09     Completed Date:  2004-03-30     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503060     Medline TA:  J Am Dent Assoc     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  204-12; quiz 229     Citation Subset:  D; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Periodontics, Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, New Orleans 70119-2799, USA. ddeder@lsuhsc.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Dental Caries / diagnosis
Dental Cavity Preparation
Dental Equipment*
Device Approval
Equipment Safety
Gingiva / surgery
Government Regulation
Humans
Laser Therapy*
Lasers* / classification,  diagnostic use,  standards
Public Opinion
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jun;135(6):710, 712   [PMID:  15270148 ]
J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jun;135(6):706, 708; author reply 708, 710   [PMID:  15270147 ]
J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jun;135(6):706   [PMID:  15270146 ]
J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jun;135(6):698, 700, 702; author reply 702, 704, 706   [PMID:  15270145 ]
Erratum In:
J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jun;135(6):726-7

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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