Expert ADVICE
The Solea® Laser
DR. VIRGINIA SHARPE Sharpe Dental Studio 6 Calle Medico, Ste. 2 505.982.4686 SharpeDentalStudio.com
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he Solea® Laser is a revolutionary new CO2 laser that allows for treatment of both hard and soft tissue. It’s fast, precise and anesthesia-free for the vast majority of procedures. Although CO2 lasers have been utilized in dentistry for quite a while, they’ve previously only been for use on soft tissue. Now, with the Solea® Laser, lasers can actually be used on a tooth itself to remove enamel and decay. In the event a patient is found to have decay in a tooth during a regular checkup, the option for addressing it is no longer to have a shot and be numb. Patients with aesthetic concerns can also rest at ease, as a laser is more precise and sterile than a scalpel and surgery. It also heals quicker. Decay happens in a tooth because of bacteria feeding off debris as a result of not brushing or flossing regularly or properly. The byproduct of the bacteria eating the plaque is what makes a tooth decay. In the past, this was treated by using a rotary hand piece.
With the Solea® laser—the only laser approved by the FDA for use in dentistry to address both gum and tooth decay—patients are amazed at the ease and comfort with which tooth problems can be addressed. The laser actually vaporizes enamel, giving dentists the ability to work anywhere in the oral cavity, from any angle, with speed and ease. While the Solea® laser is not applicable in every situation, it allows for dentists to be more conservative in removing tooth structure, and is minimally invasive. The laser is also more sterile than a rotary instrument. When decay is cleaned out and a filling is bonded to a tooth, the laser ablates any bacteria present, leading to a cleaner situation overall. Of all the patients who are in need of decay redress, 60 to 70 percent of patients are eligible to have the Solea®
laser used on them. And dental experts agree that as the technology continues to improve, lasers like the Solea® laser will increasingly become the instrument of choice. In fact, software upgrades for the laser happen wirelessly over the internet, much like your phone. Dr. Virginia Sharpe is the only dentist in New Mexico who owns a Solea® laser. She acquired the laser about a year ago, and is proud to offer it to her patients. Although she has been practicing dentistry for 28 years, she strives to offer the most up-to-date technological advancements so patients may receive the best care possible. She grew up assisting her father in his dental practice, and had her own practice in Seattle for 20 years before moving to New Mexico two years ago. As dentistry has changed by leaps and bounds, Dr. Sharpe thrives by offering her patients the most progressive technology available.