Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Amrinder Oberoi, Paramount Dental, Sydney, NSW
The Gemini laser is one of the most useful pieces of equipment in my practice. I use it with so many cases; it’s just as important as my dental drill.
What’s good about it
It has a wide variety of purposes when treating soft tissue. It’s great whether you’re doing a simple gingivectomy and removing excess gum or cleaning out a deep pocket to help get rid of inflammation. I also use it to clean up cold sores and allow healing to happen faster. For patients with gummy smiles, this laser is perfect to give them a nice gum lift.
It has a voice activation option. It makes the whole process interactive and more fun for patients. They get to hear it at the same time as me and often get excited. It utilises two different wavelengths that provide enough power to cut quickly, cleanly and with minimal blood loss.
It’s important to treat soft tissue properly as it’s just as important as hard tissue. This laser cauterises so beautifully when it cuts that the wounds heal much better compared to cutting with a scalpel. Often, there’s no need to numb the patient as they don’t feel a thing.
All the normal protocols must be followed when using the Gemini but it’s intuitive to operate.
What’s not so good
The only negative is that it’s technique sensitive so proper training on dental lasers is important. As dentists, we’re already careful but you need to know the risks of a laser and the damage it can do if not used properly. Once you know how to use it, it’s a beautiful piece of equipment to own.
