Overview

Dental lasers are a family of instruments that are named according to the principal chemical elements contained in the resonating chamber where their laser beam originates. Each type of dental laser emits a beam having a unique wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum. Most available lasers have beam emissions in the invisible infrared range, and are known as thermal non-ionizing.

Laser-Tissue Interaction

Laser light beams interact with target substances according to their individual wavelengths. Different wavelengths have varying degrees of absorption by hard and soft tissue. Body pigments like melanin and hemoglobin readily absorb the energy of lasers operating in the lower end of the wavelength spectrum. Laser beams in the middle of the spectrum and above are readily absorbed in both water and hydroxyapatite. This results in rapid vaporizing of high-water-content soft tissue and altering of tooth enamel and dentin.