It's quite natural to have a few fears in life, but these fears tend to evolve as you get older. As a child, you might have been afraid of monsters under your bed. As an adult, you're more likely to be worried about your mortgage. But there's one fear that can last a lifetime, no matter how often you try to tell yourself that you're being foolish—and that's fear of the dentist's drill. This fear can make even the simplest dental issues, like filling a cavity, seem all the more complicated. Wouldn't it be great if there was such a thing as contactless drilling? 

Removing Decay

Filling a cavity involves more than simply filling the existing cavity. To halt further deterioration of the tooth, all decay must be removed, essentially widening the existing cavity. Only then can the cavity be filled. While a dentist will typically numb the area prior to drilling, this desensitization can be insufficient. You can still feel the vibrations of the drill as it rotates at high speed, buffing away the decay. For anyone with a fear of the dentist's drill, this can be unbearable.

A Lack of Options

It might feel like you have a lack of options. Obviously, ignoring a cavity is extremely unwise, and while a dentist can offer sedation for particularly anxious patients, it's not practical to be unconscious each time you need a cavity filled. This is where laser dentistry enters the picture.

Laser Dentistry

In dentistry, a laser is operated at different wavelengths, depending on the tissue it's being directed towards. This might be soft tissues (your gums), or hard tissues (dental enamel and dentin). When treating cavities, the laser operates in conjunction with directed air and water to target the molecules in the tooth, dislodging and obliterating decay. 

Contactless Drilling

No drill comes anywhere near your teeth, meaning that laser cavity treatment is contactless. In most cases, no anesthesia is required, although this can be provided for especially sensitive patients. Once the laser has eliminated the decayed molecules from your tooth, the cavity can be filled with a composite resin, and the job is done. 

Not all dentists offer the use of a laser, but when your fear of the dentist's drill is making you extremely reluctant to have your cavities treated, it's in your best interests to find a dentist who has the necessary hardware.

For more information, contact a laser dental care provider in your area, such as The Dental Boutique.