What is WaterLase?
Years of engineering and research by led to discovery of a water-energizing 2,780 nm YSGG laser and an air & water hand piece – both patented by BIOLASE – that combine to symbiotically excite water molecules from within both the spray and the target tissue.
See how WaterLase cuts the hardest tissue in the human body – enamel – without heat, vibration or the risk of cross contamination. The fastest camera in the world captures single pulses of WaterLase laser energy at 45,000 frames per second!
Painless Biological Dentistry – NO Shot Necessary
Why the Drill Makes Anesthetic Necessary
The drill works with friction, which causes heat and triggers pain. This necessitates injection with anesthetic and numb lips, and opens the possibility for thermal damage.
The drill also causes vibration and macrofractures that can allow bacteria to penetrate causing further decay.
Why WaterLase Can Be Painless
WaterLase© uses a unique, powerful interaction of our patented YSGG laser wavelength and proprietary water/air spray that cuts, etches and shapes target tissues without contact, heat, vibration or pressure.
WaterLase is also highly effective for gums, skin, bone – more precise and less bleeding than a scalpel!
Biological Dentistry and the Science of WaterLase
How WaterLase Flies Under the Human Body’s Pain Radar
Our Biological Dentistry™ approach to diagnosis, treatment and prevention is the logical result of our investigations into why conventional treatment with the drill causes pain, necessitates the use of anesthetic, and causes unintended damage to surrounding healthy tissue – negative consequences that have long been accepted for lack of a better solution. A fresh look at the anatomy and physiology of teeth and oral soft tissues showed us there could be a more biologically friendly way to treat them.
Tooth enamel naturally contains up to 5% water; dentin and bone up to 25%. Years of BIOLASE research led to discovery of a water-energizing 2,780 nm YSGG laser and a handpiece that delivers air and water in precise proportions – both BIOLASE patented – that combine to symbiotically excite water molecules from both the handpiece spray and inside the target tissue. The result is an effective biological micro-ablation of tooth structure. The atomized spray of water and air continually re-hydrates the tooth, preventing heat and pain. We named this technology WaterLase©.
Why WaterLase YSGG Laser Energy is Superior to Erbium YAG
A graph of the absorption of various wavelengths of laser energy in water shows that erbium laser energy is absorbed at a rate 300% greater than YSSG laser energy.
On hard tissue, an erbium laser will quickly vaporize the water naturally present in dentinal tubules and enamel prisms and damage the tooth, without the use a far greater amount of water spray than the YSGG laser. This additional water at the tissue surface means less energy is being absorbed by the hydroxyapatite and enamel, significantly reducing the cutting speed of the erbium laser.
On soft tissue, the erbium laser’s higher absorption by water means that it draws more blood and fluid to the surface, dehydrating the tissue and obscuring the field of view.
The physics of the YSGG wavelength is perfectly balanced to remove enamel and dentin, and to surgically cut and coagulate soft tissue.
