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Clinical
Case Presentation:
The Application of the Waterlase Laser in
a Class VI Cavity Preparation.
Note: Some of the clinical photographs and
steps shown on this web page may or may
not be cleared by the United States Food
and Drug Administration. Unless cleared
by the FDA, BIOLASE does not specifically
endorse a procedure or protocol.
More than 100 million cavities are drilled
and filled each year -- and the Waterlase
offers a solution with no shots, no drills,
and no pain in most cases. In the case
pictured below, the Waterlase allowed
Dr. Blodgett to fill several cavities
and decayed areas with precision -- and
with no pain, no needles, no injected
anesthesia, and no drills.
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Dr.
Kelly Blodgett and his brother Dr.
Kris Blodgett are the first twin brothers
(and twin dentists) to own their own
Waterlase systems. Their individual
practices are both steeped in the
latest technology, from the Waterlase
to in-office CAD/CAM systems, to intraoral
cameras, digital x-ray systems, management
software, and other devices.
Dr. Kelly Blodgett maintains his
private practice in Portland, Oregon,
while his twin brother Dr. Kris Blodgett
maintains his private practice in
Bend, Oregon.
Both are members of the World Clinical
Laser Institute, the Academy of Laser
Dentistry, and they lecture around
the U.S. about technology in dentistry.
Dr. Kelly Blodgett's Class VI case
is the focus of this Clinical Innovation.
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Dr. Kelly Blodgett (twin brother of fellow
Waterlase owner Dr. Kris Blodgett) recently
met with a patient who pleaded with him
to “fix” the edges of his lower
incisors — but only if Dr. Blodgett
could address the patient’s concerns:
his teeth were highly sensitive to cold
and heat, he did not want a shot, and he
wanted the entire procedure completed in
one visit.
Prior to owning the Waterlase,
Dr. Blodgett would have had to refer the
patient to another dentist, or put the patient
under anesthesia.
Rather than refer the patient to a sedation
dentist, Dr. Blodgett put the Waterlase
to work. Because the Waterlase ablates decay
and enamel with none of the heat, friction,
pressure, or pain associated with the drill,
Dr. Blodgett was able to perform five Class
VI restorations in 10 minutes (which included
placement of the rubber dam) with no anesthetic.
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Fig.
1. Pre-op view. The patient
presented with decay on the incisal
edges of his lowers — but was
very concerned about the hot/cold sensitivity,
and the timeliness of treatment. |
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Fig
2. With just eight total minutes
of chair time (which included placing
the rubber dam), Dr. Blodgett removed
the decay painlessly and prepped for
the placement of composite. |
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Fig
3. Immediately post-op, the
composite has been placed, and the patient’s
desire for a fast solution to a nagging
problem had been quickly solved by.
Dr. Blodgget. |
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Dear Dr. Blodgett:
I had no idea I would ever be able to fix
the edges of my bottom teeth, or that if I
could , it would have been expensive and painful.
Lucky for me, Dr. Blodgett had this Waterlase
laser, which helped him complete the job almost
as soon as I sat in the chair — and
with absolutely no pain or discomfort! Kudos
to Dr. Blodgett!
Sincerely,
J. McKay
Portland, Oregon
To learn more about these types of innovative
applications made possible by the Waterlase,
be sure to sign up for a World
Clinical Laser Institute symposium,
or contact BIOLASE directly at 888-424-6527,
or online by clicking
here.
Some of the clinical images, claims, descriptions, and steps listed here represent the judgment and decisions made by the clinician(s) who conducted this procedure. BIOLASE, its employees, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration do not necessarily endorse or support any procedural claims listed hereon. Also, some of the components, steps, or items used to perform the procedure may be the intellectual property of the clincian(s) Actual results in a clinical setting may vary. If you have any questions, lease contact BIOLASE for more information.
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