For many of us, the whiny sound of a drill can make going to the dentist nerve-wracking, but one New Mexico dentist is using something different.
Virginia Sharpe, a dentist in Santa Fe, has tossed out the traditional drill. She's now among the first dentists in the state to use a laser instead of a drill.
Sharpe said there are several benefits to using a laser. "I don't have to do local anesthetic before I work on the tooth," she said.
Sharpe said pain medication is also not required after a procedure.
"What it does is gives the nerve and the tooth so much information that it doesn't know it might be uncomfortable so it really numbs or has an analgesic effect on the tooth," Sharpe said.
Atlee Meena said she was not uncomfortable during her procedure.
"I wasn't in pain at all," she said. "It's cold. It just feels really cold and my favorite part about it is that it's not loud at all, it's not like a regular drill."
Ivonne Logo's son also had the laser procedure done. "I was more skeptical because it's new technology, he was happy because there's no shot," she said.
Laser dentistry can be used during many procedures, such as treating gum disease, root canal infections or exposing wisdom teeth.
