Laser Dentistry in Hocking & Perth

For some procedures a laser does the work of the drill, using water and light instead. For many patients that means less noise, and in some cases no injection.

It is not a replacement for everything, and we will not pretend otherwise. Ask at your consultation whether your particular treatment is one we can do this way.

This page is deliberately even-handed about what it does and does not do. Laser dentistry is marketed harder than almost anything else in the field, and a page that only lists advantages is not much use to somebody trying to decide.

What laser dentistry is

Laser dentistry is a minimally invasive option for gum surgery and gum disease, cavity treatment, tooth decay and other oral issues. It uses water and light in place of the drill for a number of procedures, which for many patients means less noise and, in some cases, no injection.

The mechanism is worth a sentence, because it explains both the advantages and the limits. A dental laser emits light at a wavelength that is absorbed by a particular target — water, or the pigment in soft tissue. Energy absorbed by water in tooth structure causes it to expand and flick microscopic particles away, which is how decay is removed without mechanical contact. There is no bur spinning against the tooth, so there is no vibration and none of the noise most people actually object to.

That also means a laser is not a universal instrument. Different wavelengths suit hard tissue and soft tissue, a laser cannot cut metal or porcelain, and some procedures are simply faster and more precise with conventional instruments. Which is why it lives alongside the drill here rather than replacing it.

Side by side

What the difference actually is

Decay through the enamel and spreading in the dentine underneath. The same starting point either way.

Why the contact matters

Most of what people say they mind about a filling is the vibration and the noise, and both of those are a bur being held against a tooth while it spins. Without the contact, neither happens — which is why some of these appointments can be done without an injection.

A laser does not replace the drill for everything. Crowns, bridgework and some larger fillings still need one, and whether yours is a treatment we can do this way depends on what it is and where it is. Ask at your consultation.

What we use it for

Hocking Dental Care in Perth can use laser dentistry techniques across a number of our cosmetic, preventative and reparative oral treatments.

Procedure	What the laser contributes	Still needs an injection?
Removal of decay	Removes decayed tissue without the bur, so no vibration and no drill noise	Often not, for small to moderate cavities. Larger or deeper ones usually still do
Gum disease treatment	Removes diseased tissue from inside gum pockets and sterilises as it goes	Usually local anaesthetic, depending on depth
Gum reshaping and minor soft-tissue work	Cuts and seals at the same time, so bleeding is minimal and stitches are often unnecessary	Usually a small amount, or topical only
Root canal treatment	Helps disinfect the canal system, alongside conventional instrumentation	Yes
Tooth whitening	Activates the whitening gel during in-chair treatment	No

Laser dentistry is provided here rather than referred elsewhere, so if it suits your case it happens in the same chair as the rest of your treatment.

What it is genuinely better at

On soft tissue, laser treatment often avoids the need for stitches, reduces bleeding, and sterilises as it goes, which lowers the risk of infection. Gum tissue can frequently be removed without bleeding at all — which is not only tidier, it makes the procedure faster because the field stays clear.

For patients, the difference that tends to matter most is comfort during the appointment: no drill noise, no vibration, and for some procedures no injection. The recovery is often quicker as well.

It matters most for the people it matters most to. If what keeps you out of a dental chair is the sound and the feel of the drill rather than pain, this is a genuine answer rather than a marketing one, and it is worth mentioning at the time of booking, not once you are already sitting down.

What it does not do

The honest half of the page.

It is not painless by definition. It is frequently more comfortable, and for some procedures no injection is needed, but that is a case-by-case judgement rather than a property of the instrument.
It cannot remove or shape existing metal or porcelain restorations, so replacing an old filling or preparing a crown still involves conventional instruments.
It does not replace the drill for large cavities, for crown preparation, or for most restorative work on back teeth.
It does not extract teeth, and it does not treat decay you have not come in to have looked at.
It is not a substitute for cleaning your teeth. No instrument is.
It is a well-established technique rather than an experimental one, but it is also not a reason to choose one clinic over another on its own.

Some treatments still need conventional instruments, and we will say so rather than fit the tool to the marketing. If the laser is the better answer for your tooth, we will use it. If the drill is, we will use that and tell you why.

Whether it suits your treatment

Raise it at your consultation and we will go through what the laser can and cannot do for the specific tooth in question. The variables are the size and depth of the cavity, whether there is existing restorative material in the way, whether the work is on hard tissue or soft, and how close it is to the nerve.

It is one of four pieces of clinical technology the practice owns, alongside digital X-ray, digital OPG and a digital intraoral camera. The camera is worth mentioning in the same breath: it puts the inside of your mouth on the screen beside you, so a conversation about whether to treat something is one you can actually see rather than take on trust.

Common questions

Laser Dentistry: your questions answered

Is it really possible to have a filling without an injection?: For some cavities, yes — typically small to moderate ones that have not gone deep. It is not something we can promise before looking at the tooth, and it depends on the size, the depth and how close the decay is to the nerve. What we can do is tell you at the appointment whether yours is a candidate, and start without anaesthetic on the understanding that we stop and numb you if you want us to.
Does the laser hurt?: Most people describe a warm sensation and sometimes a tingle rather than pain. There is no vibration and no pressure against the tooth, which is what a lot of people are actually reacting to when they say the drill hurts. That said, individual sensitivity varies considerably, and nobody is expected to endure something uncomfortable to avoid an injection.
Is it safe?: Dental lasers are well-established, regulated equipment and have been in general practice for years. Everyone in the room wears protective eyewear, including you, which is not optional and is the main visible difference from a conventional appointment.
Does it cost more than conventional treatment?: Fees are based on the procedure and its item number rather than on which instrument is used, so using the laser is not a surcharge. Ask reception to quote the specific treatment you are considering; they will hand over the relevant item numbers, which your fund can price before you commit to anything.
Can children have laser treatment?: Yes, and it is often a good fit — the absence of noise and vibration removes most of what makes a child anxious about a filling. Whether it suits a particular tooth is the same judgement as for an adult, and we will tell you at the appointment.
Can I have it if I am pregnant?: Routine dental treatment during pregnancy is safe and often advisable, particularly cleaning, because gum inflammation is more common then. Tell us you are pregnant when you book, because it affects the timing of elective work and whether we take X-rays. The laser itself is not the variable that matters.
Will it whiten my teeth on its own?: No. In laser-assisted whitening the laser activates a whitening gel; the gel does the work. The result depends on the same things it always does — the type of staining and where your teeth start from — rather than on the light.
Can it treat my gum disease without the usual deep clean?: It is used alongside conventional periodontal treatment rather than instead of it. Calculus below the gum has to be physically removed, and the laser's contribution is removing diseased tissue from inside the pocket and reducing bacteria while it does. Expect it to be part of the treatment, not a shortcut past it.

All frequently asked questions

General & Preventative

Other general & preventative treatments

The regular care that keeps everything else from becoming necessary.

Booking

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Come and talk to us about laser dentistry. We will go through the options, what each costs, and what your health fund covers, before anything begins.

Call (08) 9306 2755

Which system do you use?

Which system do you use?

Laser Dentistry Perth

Which system do you use?

What laser dentistry is

What the difference actually is

Why the contact matters

What we use it for

What it is genuinely better at

What it does not do

Whether it suits your treatment

Laser Dentistry: your questions answered

Other general & preventative treatments

Book a consultation

Which system do you use?

Which system do you use?