SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) -- A lot of people will do just about anything to avoid the dentist.Needles, drilling, and pain can cause all kinds of anxiety, but a local dentist is using a new laser that he says could transform dentistry.
Sara Scarafone 15, is a patient at Dr. Alex Corondoni’s office in San Carlos. “Put the sunglasses on you, and we'll get started,” Corondoni said.
But instead of a drill, Corondoni is using a laser. “It's hitting that tooth at 1800 pulses a second. It's almost like if you were jack hammering something,” he said.
It's called Solea. The laser vaporizes the enamel, allowing dentists to fill cavities painlessly. Corondoni has been practicing for 28 years and says it's unlike anything he's ever seen.
“I've done some big, big, big fillings, that I was like, ‘You're not feeling this?!’” And no drilling means no Novocain. “I was excited to hear that there wasn't any needles involved,” Scarafone said.
“My average patients are in their 60s and 70s, so I have a lot of medications, so if they have arrhythmias or heart problems, I'm not having to give them any anesthetic.
It's huge,” Corondoni said. He says this new procedure turns what normally takes an hour into less than 10 minutes. “It just felt like a lot of air, and a little bit of water,” Scarafone said.
The device is made by Boston-based Convergent Delta and claims to be revolutionary-- reducing recovery time.
“You're not numb. You can go to work. There's no excuses,” Corondoni said. “I can do all the different parts of the mouth at one time.”
Even normally complex procedures on soft tissue like gums become more routine. “I would have had to cut it, suture it, wait a couple weeks, and now it's just done and they come back in 4 or 5 days and it's healed. It's amazing!”
A nearby touch screen lets dentists adjust the speed and precision of the laser. Ultimately, Corondoni says it's not just improving his patient's experiences, but his practice and reputation.
“Sometimes, I'd have to sedate patients to have them come in here, just to get a needle.” Now, he no longer feels like the enemy. “I'm a good guy now. I'm a good guy.”
To find a dentist that uses this technology click here.
