Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Case Summary
The patient presented with rampant decay on anterior teeth. He had not been to the dentist in more than 10 years. The patient chose to have his maxillary anteriors restored during the first appointment.
He was very anxious about having such an extensive treatment done in one sitting, however, the procedure was completed successfully without the need for nitrous or sedatives.
Technique Using Solea
The patient’s teeth pre-op.
A compounded topical anesthetic was used on the facial and palatal gingiva for 3 minutes prior to using the laser. The teeth were prepared and restored two at a time: No. 6-MDF and No. 7-MDFL, No. 8-MDFL and No. 9-MDFL, then lastly No. 10-MDFL and No. 11-MDFL.
A pre-op radiograph shows the decay.
The procedure was performed using the hard and soft tissue selection and 100% mist settings on the Solea Dental Laser. The 1 mm spot size was used at 30% cutting speed for 5 seconds, then increased using the variable speed foot pedal at 40% to 60% to prep into enamel. Cutting speed was reduced to 30% to 40% for decay removal.
The gingiva was recontoured at 30% cutting speed to expose the dentin/cementum, gingival margin, and to facilitate bonding. A highspeed electric handpiece with diamond football bur was used to bevel enamel and smooth margins.
The patient’s teeth following treatment.
Solea Advantage
By using the Solea laser, an injection was not needed, which was one of the biggest concerns for the patient. Because no injection was needed, the patient was able to determine his bite was normal, thereby eliminating a potential follow-up appointment.
With traditional dentistry, this extensive procedure would have required multiple appointments. With Solea, it was completed in one sitting.