Glenn,

I meant to mention the local primary TV station call today and spend at least an hour filming all around our office. They called because of our Rembrandt one hour whitening service. I have turned some of those who have responded to this add (non patients of record) into laser patients for the replacement of anterior restorations following whitening. Cross pollenation! The first health spot featuring the laser by this TV canel is on my web site thanks to Ron.

Pat

Bob and Ron:

Thanks for the theory on laser anesthesia with the defocused technique. Whatever the mechanism, although I’ve only used two weeks, seems to work.

Ron, do you know if LR Eversole is Lawrence or Larry Eversole? I trained under a Larry Eversole at the University of Florida from 1985-89. Dr. Eversole was an Oral Pathologist.

Al

Hey Pat,
If you don’t mind. I would recommend that if you are cutting enamel and or dentin, I would use at minimum 24% water. This really helps cut, clean, and I can assure you, no charring, and you can even keep your suction tip a bit closer. Hope this helps.
Mark

Allen,

thanks so much for the post. I am really excited about defocusing anesthesia. I know we dont know the mechanism but any studies out there to indicate that this is a safe technique, meaning that we are not permanently frying the pulp.

Glad to be a part of this laser group.

That’s great Pat!

Perhaps your use of the laser anesthetized the area enough so that the patient did not feel the PDL injection?

What teeth needed the DO’s? What needle length, gauge and what specific anesthetic did you use for the PDL injection?

Al

Hi Ron,

I agree.  Posts can be misinterpretated. Thanks for your explaination.  What should I edit??

And thanks for your kind words.

I hate to sound like an “old-guy” when I respond to the posts of new laser users. But sometimes the stuff that I know and do that comes second nature to me, the stuff I don’t even think about anymore, the things I expect others must surely know is not what others know or understand at all!

I’m not such a sour-puss or Big Head that I ask questions of people just to “nail” them. If I am going to take up my time to be involved in a discussion at all, I’m asking questions with sincerity.

I know that you appreciate my main concern: justifying (not merely doing something) because some “expert” suggested it, especially now that there is a plethora of research, clinical case studies, abstracts that has been done with nearly every laser that you can imagine. Anecdotes are fine. But I won’t justify–as a reason to experiment on patients or buy a laser–on anecdotes alone. Combined with other information–OK.

One thing that is always an undercurrent with lasers: We are the fringe of our profession. We’re Orphans. So are medical laser practitioners. After investing so much time, energy, money into this field, I want this technology to flourish in our profession, not be subject to ridicule and scorn.

I remember when I first got my pulsed Nd:YAG laser in 1990. A lot of press had been whipped up about using the laser for “curettage”. The perio people were furious. A periodontist by the name of Bernard Gantes, DDS. MS from the Long Beach Calif. area wrote a letter that he sent out to all the dentists in my area disparaging this laser for any perio except cutting frenums or whatever. I ran into him at a dental society meeting. In a question not unlike what I asked of you he barked, “What are you trying to accomplish when you perform laser curettage?!” I didn’t have any clue, or rationale, or concept of what I might be doing. But I managed to say, “Trying to maintain my patients’ perio condition.” I guess he was either too angry to pursue the question, thought I was too ignorant (I was of perio then) or I made a good come-back he couldn’t respond to because he just turned and walked away.

Talk about people who want to “nail” you it is certain periodontists!! See President’s Newsletter and the responses, as well as the other newsletters attached. <a href="http://www.calperio.com/calperio/csp.nsf/vpages/News?OpenDocument

They” target=”_blank”>http://www.calperio.com/calperi….

They are lying in wait to ask you what your justification for using lasers in the perio pocket might be. We have a lot more data, rationale, and scientific justification than we did when Gantes questioned me.  That’s where I was coming from when I asked you those questions.

Your friend,

Bob