Tools of the Trade Review: Waterlase MD

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by Dr Terry Rose, Smile In Style, Moonee Ponds and Sunbury, VIC

Admittedly, high-end lasers are expensive when compared to the basic scalpel and high-speed drill. Friends delight in telling me how many burs or scalpel blades they can buy for the price of the laser. However, a soft tissue/hard tissue laser can improve the quality of your treatment and broaden the range of applications offered in your practice. Of course, appropriate training and enthusiasm are essential before you get to enjoy the new world that opens up to you.

What’s good about it

I bought the Waterlase MD as it was the ‘do everything’ laser. It has a slightly different wavelength to the Erbium YAG laser family and it has a broad range of soft-tissue and hard-tissue applications. The greatest application of the Waterlase is the treatment of advanced perio disease. It works really well at cleaning out and disinfecting deep pockets

The new radial firing tips look set to further improve results in this treatment and the turbo handpiece has made it powerful for hard-tissue restorative work. As the laser has a deadening effect on the tooth, anaesthetic is commonly not required for fillings.

Soft tissue (incision, flaps) and hard tissue (cutting bone) surgery is less painful during healing. I use it to cut bone away in difficult extractions, for periimplantitis, root-canal disinfection, impaction exposures for ortho and smile lifts/crown lengthening. The laser is switched on ready to go in the surgery and it’s not uncommon to use it on half my patients during the day.

What’s not so good

Training is critical to avoid problems and expand your repertoire with the Waterlase MD. Magnification is best for use with the laser and this can be a learning curve in itself. Extreme care must be taken when performing high-energy procedures. Poor technique and damage to laser tips can result in blowing the main trunk fibre—at a cost of $3000 each.

Where did you get it

Henry Schein

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1 COMMENT

  1. Fantastic Dr. Rose, I am very interested in the Waterlase MD as it seems a very proactuve and useful tool as an overall.

    Where is it sold in Australia?

    Regards.

    Juliana Garcia C.

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