Lasers & Pedodontics

Abstract

The medical terms such as magical and lightening quick are used to represent lasers [1]. Theodore H. Maiman in 1960 coined the term laser, which was initially termed as maser which stands for “microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”. However, the term LASER is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation [2,3]. Three types of lasers used for surgical therapy in the oral cavity are neodymium lasers YAG (Nd: YAG), of argon (Ar) and carbon dioxide (CO2) [3]. Lasers have largely replaced scalpels and other instruments in the field of medicine because of its advantages [4-6]. Different laser wavelengths have different absorption coefficients wherein laser energy can be absorbed or transmitted based on the structure of the target tissue. The presence of water, which is an essential component of all biologic tissues, is important for the use of lasers [2,6]. For hard tissues, Er lasers are used whereas any laser can be used for soft tissue components [2,6,7].