What does a laser do?
A soft tissue laser uses the power of light to vaporize oral soft tissues with UNMATCHED PRECISION.

How does it work?
The Odyssey vaporizes and modifies soft tissue without bleeding and usually without injected anesthetics.

How do I use the Odyssey Diode Laser?
Use the Odyssey Diode Laser to prepare gingival tissues in three dimensions for fixed PROSTHODONTIC impressions and to control tissue adjacent to restorative preparations.

How is it different from other lasers?
When used in contact, diode laser energy only penetrates about 200 microns, making it safe as well as effective. Surface tissues are vaporized in a controlled manner, and the underlying connective tissue is coagulated and the resulting laser wound is self-sealing, requiring no suturing.

Why 810nm wavelength?
The term laser stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation", which means a device that produces and amplifies light. The wavelength of the light produced will determine what types of tissues can be modified by the light’s energy. Light waves that emanate from within the visible and near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum will be readily absorbed into body pigments like melanin in the skin, and heme found within hemoglobin in blood. They will have virtually no affinity for water and thus, it won’t be absorbed at the surface as it enters soft tissues. Wave lengths located within the mid to far infrared range are attracted to water and the ydroxyapatite crystals that are found within bone and teeth. Thus, these wave lengths are primarily used in hard tissue lasers. With a frequency of 810+/-20 nanometers, the Odyssey Diode Laser’s wave length falls into the lower end of the near-infrared spectrum, making it suitable for soft-tissue applications.

What options are available instead of using a laser?
1. Scalpel and sutures generally cause more hemorrhage and less vision during surgery and are more susceptible to post-op swelling and infection than laser surgeries. 2. Electro-surgery units are less precise and may cause more tissue damage. Additionally, they provide less access to difficult areas adjacent to vital tooth structures, amalgams, and implants. Longer healing periods are typically required and patients require to be “grounded” during the procedure.

What are the advantages of having a soft tissue diode laser?
Today's bonding techniques require total control over the operative sites; the diode laser ensures the ability to achieve that. No other instrument ever available to the dentist has had the capability of such precise tissue sculpting. The diode laser is the least traumatic of all competing and conventional instruments. The Odyssey Diode Laser is affordable and small enough for every practice, simple to operate and easily learned and incorporated into your practice.

What should I tell my patients?
Lasers are the most precise, least traumatic, and will heal with less post-operative pain than any other technique.