Laser dentistry for oral lesions in Belchertown, MA

What Does Laser Dentistry for Oral Lesions Do?

Laser treatments at one of our nearby offices can provide you with instant pain relief. They can also help contagious and unsightly cold sores heal much more quickly than they would if traditional methods were used to treat the lesions. Laser therapy is painless and only takes a few minutes. Why wait a week for relief when you can get back to your daily activities quickly?

Common Types of Oral Lesions

Below are the common types of oral lesions which appear inside the mouth or on the lips that respond well to laser dentistry treatment.

Cold Sores

Cold sores are small blister or group of blisters that usually show up on your lips or in your mouth. They are quite common, and caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is also very common in adults and even children. If you’re a healthy adult, cold sores generally are not a cause for alarm. They clear up on their own in two weeks, but they can cause discomfort in the meantime. Many people also think they look unsightly on the lips.

Canker Sores

Canker sores start as a small bump or red spot. They can burn or tingle until the center becomes white or yellow, and then they usually hurt. You can get a canker sore from accidentally biting the inside of your cheek, from food allergies or even stress. The sores usually go away on their own in about 10 days, but they can interfere with chewing and even sleeping if they are very uncomfortable during this period. Laser therapy for canker sores only takes about 15 minutes and you can expect immediate pain relief.

Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas are noncancerous tumors made up of a cluster of blood vessels and they look like a spongy bump. Hemangiomas are common in adults between the ages of 30 and 50. While they rarely appear in the oral cavity, they can lead to issues with chewing if they do. A hemangioma won’t go away on its own, but laser therapy offers a quick, painless way to remove the tumor.

HPV

The human papillomavirus is an extremely common sexually transmitted disease that has about 100 strains. About 90 percent of people who become infected will find the infection goes away on its own. Individuals with compromised immune systems may not have the ability to fight it off on their own. Several strains of HPV can cause different cancers. The disease will create lesions in moist areas f the body, including the oral cavity. The lesions are considered precancerous and should be treated.

How Are Oral Lesions Diagnosed?

Your dentist can often diagnose lesions by looking at them, questioning you about your symptoms and noting the location of the lesion or lesions. He or she may want to take an x-ray to view the area underneath the lesion or take a tissue sample to complete a biopsy in certain cases, especially if the dentist notices anything unusual.

The Oral Lesions Treatment Process

Most types of oral lesions can be treated in about 15 minutes. There’s no need to wait for the area to become numb from a local anesthetic as the laser never touches the lesion, so there is no pain. The most you will feel is warmth at the site. Your dentist will supply you with special glasses to wear during the procedure. You’ll feel instant relief from any discomfort.

Oral Lesions Treatment: A Case Study

A case study in Dentistry Today features how easy it is to treat lesions caused by the herpes simplex virus with laser therapy. A 32-year-old man visited his dentist because he felt a burning pain in his mouth. The pain was interfering with his ability to eat, speak and sleep. After the patient’s dentist performed an exam, treatment with a diode laser from Biolase was suggested to ease the man’s pain and heal the cold sores.

The patient was asked to come back to the dentist’s office the day after treatment. He reported to his dentist that his pain was gone and he could eat, speak and sleep normally. The dentist confirmed the lesions underwent significant healing.

How to Make an Appointment for Laser Dentistry Treatment in the Belchertown Area

Do you have an oral lesion that is bothering you? If so, please call one of our Baystate Dental of Belchertown locations to schedule an appointment with an experienced dentist. You can also go online and arrange an appointment. We look forward to serving you and seeing your discomfort disappear.