Laser Dentistry Mahwah NJ

Laser Dentistry – No Shots or Drills!
Imagine fillings placed painlessly without drills or needles. Now, in many cases, this is available with a revolutionary new laser technology known as the Waterlase™. Unlike lasers of the past, this laser is used for both gum and tooth procedures. Previous dental lasers were used only for the gums or whitening the teeth. This new water laser is a breakthrough in comfortable dentistry. Energy from the laser is absorbed by water instead of by the teeth. The microscopic water droplets are energized by the laser, and it is actually the energized water that removes the tooth decay – and usually with no pain and no need for needles. For many dental procedures the Waterlase replaces the dentist’s drill.

Laser Dentistry Mahwah NJ
Scott C. Peters, D.M.D., LLC
Dentistry for children, adolescents and
patients with special needs
156 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
(201) 529-9000

FDA concludes mercury in dental fillings not risky

FDA concludes mercury in dental fillings not risky

OK, so this conclusion from the FDA came down last Tuesday. However, most Dentists have known this for a long time already. The FDA is "urging" dentists to provide their patients with a government-written statement detailing the mercury controversy and what science shows. Which is that no harm comes from the amalgam fillings that are placed.

In my office we do not place amalgam "silver" fillings. I do this not because of any concern over the toxicity of the filling material, but because of the usefulness, and ease of placing composite "white" fillings. They look nicer too. There is also less tooth structure removed when a tooth is prepared for a composite filling.

What I do want to note is that the FDA also states that is an amalgam filling is in good condition, and there is no new decay on the tooth, there is NO reason to remove the silver filling! This is important because there was a movement in the not so distant past that wanted to remove every silver filling, stating that by doing so they could cure all types of medical maladies, from MS to Autism to Fibromyalgia. The People who pushed this hogwash are frauds and were making big bucks from innocent people's irrational fears and lack of knowledge.

That being said, I welcome any questions on the subject.

Scott C. Peters, DMD

Laser Dentistry

Lasers are commonplace today, they are used now in everything from your CD player to high tech machines. Did you know that they are also very useful in dentistry?


Doctors have used lasers for years to Provide better care for their patients – in LASIK vision correction, for removing skin blemishes, and in all kinds of surgery.


The laser creates special, highly concentrated light energy, and sends it through an optical fiber to its handpiece. The dentist uses the handpiece to aim the laser energy precisely at the areas to be treated. Some laser systems combine the laser energy with a gentle spray of water.


The Benefits of Laser Dentistry

More Comfortable

Waterlase Dentistry uses laser energy and a gentle spray of water to perform a wide range of dental procedures – without the heat, vibration and pressure associated with the dental drill. With many procedures, it’s possible to use less anesthetic, and often no anesthetic at all.

More Convenient

The Dentist can often get you and you child in and out of the dentist chair faster, since it’s less likely that they will need an injection – research shows that the vast majority of patients don’t. It’s nice to avoid that shot, isn’t it? Not using anesthetic can allow your dentist to perform procedures that used to require more than one visit in a single appointment. Also, a Waterlase Dentist can perform procedures that once meant an additional trip to a specialist, saving you even more time.

More Precise

The Dentist can remove decay far more precisely than a dentist using a drill. This saves more of the healthy parts of your tooth. Saving your natural teeth can save you from the discomfort and cost of future tooth breakdown.

The Laser is really a great thing for the Pediatric Dentist. I can do fillings without getting the kids numb (No Needle) and can take away much less tooth structure than with traditional methods.