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I 37 industry report _ Fotona I cosmeticdentistry 1_2010 _Lasers are fairly new in mainstream den- tistry. Their benefits are still not known to many dentists and patients, and several myths about lasers still exist. Therefore, we would like to do a little bit of ‘myth busting’. _Lasers cut slower than high-speed burs This can be true for laser systems that deliver the laser through an optical fibre. In order to protect the expensive fibre, laser energy must be kept low. In order to circumvent this, Fotona’s Fidelis dental laser systems utilise an articu- lated arm and advanced VSP Technology that allow the laser to deliver much more energy for efficient laser drilling. These lasers cut at comparable and even higher speeds than con- ventional high-speed burs.1 A recent study has demonstrat- ed that Fotona’s hard-tissue Er:YAG laser cuts 3 times faster through dentine and 4.2 times faster through enamel than an Er,Cr:YSGG laser delivered through an optical fibre (Waterlase MD, Biolase).2 _Lasers are 100 % painless Ninety per cent of patients feel no discomfort at all during Er:YAG laser treatments.3 Fotona’s Fidelis lasers are thus predominantly used without anaesthesia. Some procedures and certain patients require local anaesthesia and usually a topical anaesthetic suffices for some soft-tissue procedures, while larger hard-tis- sue procedures may require a local injection. Nevertheless, patient comfort is dramatically improved—no needles, no noise, no vibration, no numbness. In cases in which no anaesthesia is used, patients can receive treatments in all four quadrants during the same appointment. _Lasers are a bad investment Lasers are not inexpensive, but so is every investment in your future. Once you understand the benefits of lasers, the re- turn on investment is obvious. With less need for anaes- thesia, more treatments in multiple quadrants dur- ing shorter visits can be performed, increasing per- visit productivity. Dual laser systems, such as AT Fidelis, allow you to treat more conditions efficient- ly and less invasively, even those you were previously notabletotreat.Combined with more patient refer- rals and added exposure by setting your practice apart from others, it is evidentthatlasersarein- dispensable to a modern practice._ Editorial note: A complete list of references is available from the publisher. Fotonad.d. Stegne7 SI-1210Ljubljana Slovenia Tel.:+38615009178 Website:www.fotona.com cosmeticdentistry _contact ‘Myth busting’ laser dentistry