Solea enables fast, reliably anesthesia-free cavity preps which improves both the patient and physician experience. Excluding the shot and the drill from routine procedures creates a less stressful, more comfortable, shorter visit for patients.
For the dentist, patients are often easier to treat when they are not anxious. Shorter appointment times also increase productivity by enabling the physician to see more patients per day and perform more procedures in one visit.
A 32-year-old female patient visited the practice of Dr. Heath Brantley for a routine examination. The radiographs revealed primary lesions located interproximally and the patient was diagnosed with primary caries on tooth #5 DO. The clinical objective was to successfully remove these caries and restore the tooth while delivering an optimal patient experience. The clinical challenge for this patient was keeping her calm, as she was very apprehensive and required coaching throughout the procedure.
The tooth was prepared with Solea using a 1.25 mm spot size with a cutting speed of 40-50%. Solea’s cutting speed is regulated with a variable-speed foot pedal that allows adjustment of energy from 0-100%.
The outline of the prep was first traced at 50% speed, ensuring even ablation of the enamel coronal to the lesion. After approximately 30 seconds, the speed was reduced to 45% to maintain a comfortable cutting speed. After the dentin was exposed, the speed was further reduced to 35-40%. The preparation was completed within 2 minutes using only the laser.
The tooth was restored using a sectional matrix system in about 6 minutes. This procedure was done without the need for local anesthetic.
In this case, the procedure time was reduced to less than 10 minutes compared to approximately 40 minutes with traditional tools. The patient’s occlusion was easily confirmed because the patient wasn’t numb, which potentially avoided a follow-up appointment for a bite adjustment. And the patient was thrilled with her experience!
When patients think about going to the dentist, they think about what it's like to have a filling. That perception dictates a lot of decisions: which dentist they choose; whether or not they accept a treatment; how long they stay with the practice; and what they say to their friends and family. By eliminating the primary causes of patient anxiety (the needle and the drill), Solea delivers an anesthesia-free dental experience patients prefer.
Solea also removes obstacles that slow a dentist down and limit what can be accomplished in a single visit. No more calming patients down, injecting the anesthesia, waiting for it to take effect, and scheduling multiple visits for multi-quadrant dentistry. With Solea, dentists simply greet the patient, get started, and stay until treatment is complete.
Less stress, higher production, happier patients – that’s what Solea brings to a dental practice.