Lasers In Dental Practice—Hype or Reality by: Rodger ‘Rod’ Kurthy, DMD Official Townie

I own two treatment lasers in my practice–the Waterlase hard/soft tissue laser, and the LaserSmile, both manufactured by Biolase. The LaserSmile is actually a diode soft-tissue laser (TwiLite Laser) with an attachment that can be used for teeth whitening. I’ll tell you upfront that I love all the things these lasers have done for my practice. Some dentists get pretty hot about laser marketing hype. Many laser manufacturers would like us to believe these things can do just about everything. But, when I bought my first laser, I went into the experience with my eyes wide open and didn’t expect it to do everything.

If you’re looking at the viability of lasers for merely their clinical application and not taking into consideration their ability to give your practice that ‘success’ potential, you might as well stop reading right now and go have a cookie or something. If however, you would like to have 1) more new patients, and 2) better quality patients (patients who say “yes” to your elaborate treatment plans) read on.

Your patients, who want the very best dental care and are willing to pay for it, will most likely be VERY impressed with dental lasers. The mere word ‘laser’ immediately personifies a high-tech, state-of-the-art connotation. Your patients have already been bombarded with information about the use of lasers in dentistry and cosmetics. Lasers immediately create their own credibility. If you tell your patients that a laser can do something, they are already conditioned to belive it.

Here are some of the easy ways I market laser treatment to my patients. I have placed the following statements in my direct mail pieces.

Marketing Statement: Do you suffer from sensitive teeth? Does anyone in your family? You may have found that previous dentists were unable to successfully treat your sensitive teeth. Maybe you can’t bite into ice cream. Maybe cold fruit sends you through the roof. Maybe eating chocolate causes aching of your teeth. Or maybe you can’t breathe in cold air. Frustrating, isn’t it?

With the help of our new dental laser, this sensitivity may be a thing of the past. The new dental laser can quickly and easily rid you of this annoying sensitivity.

How many people have sensitive teeth? A lot! It’s estimated that, under the age of 45, one out of four has annoyance from tooth sensitivity. Therefore, at least one person in a family is likely to have sensitivity. Remember that when we’re marketing, we’re marketing to Mom. She knows and cares about any family member with sensitivity.

Do you think the following approach will catch Mom’s attention? Of course it will.

Marketing Statement: Do you suffer from painful canker sores or embarrassing cold sores? A lot of people do. And it’s frustrating if it happens very often. Before now, there wasn’t much you could effectively do to get rid of these sores quickly. But miracles do happen, and our miracle is the new dental laser. It is absolutely amazing, and now we can get rid of these sores quickly and painlessly. If you suffer from cold sores or canker sores, we can help now.

Holy moly! How do you think Mom is going to react now? Little Sally is always complaining about pain in her mouth from canker sores and even Mom gets a nasty-looking cold sore every two or three months. In fact, she hates to leave the house due to the embarrassment.

Do you think this will bring in some good patients? AND, do you think these patients will be looking for cheap fees? Of course not! They know a laser dentist is going to be a little more expensive and they come anyway. I don’t know about you, but this is exactly the kind of patient I want.

Marketing Statement: Have you been told you need gum surgery? Maybe you don’t! There are a number of recent miracles in the treatment and prevention of gum disease. Probably the most notable is the incredible dental laser. This laser specifically seeks out the diseased gum tissue, removes it without surgery, and sterilizes the area, killing the bacteria that cause gum disease. Sound incredible? It is! And you can’t believe how easy it is.

How many people worry about gum disease? How many have been advised that they need perio therapy of some sort? Think this will make them want to see you, and ONLY YOU? You better believe it will!

How would you like to see a dentist who uses a LASER instead of a drill? Sound impossible? It’s not. With the new Waterlase, dentistry will never be the same. Just think—it’s now possible to have a completely comfortable dental visit with no shots, no drills, and no pain because of Laser Dentistry. Many fillings can now be done using the Waterlase. This incredible LASER works with water. The laser energy is absorbed specifically by a water spray. The microscopic particles of water are energized, and the energized water removes the tooth decay. Amazing!

Can you say similar things about air abrasion? Of course. But I want you to try something. Go up to someone and ask them to say whatever comes into their mind when you say two things to them. First say, “Laser,” and wait for them to answer. You’ll get various answers, and most of them will be very positive and enthusiastic. Then say, “Air abrasion.” Watch the puzzled look you receive.

Marketing Statement: Finally! A LASER that helps prevent the need for root canals and crowns! If you’ve never needed a root canal or a crown, you probably wonder if you ever will. If you’ve needed this type of treatment, you probably would rather avoid it. It shouldn’t be painful, but it is costly and an inconvenience. With the Waterlase LASER, you may be able to avoid the future need of root canals and crowns. When cavities are fixed, the dental drill spins so fast that it can cause micro-cracking. This can lead to future cracks into the nerve of the tooth, and the need for crowns and root canals. You may have had cavities occur under old fillings and then needed crowns and root canals. These cavities are caused by bacteria. The Waterlase sterilizes the cavity area of the tooth to prevent leaving living bacteria under the filling. Amazing? We think so too.

So, do you think that the above information would draw more patients to your office? Do you think this would draw ‘bargain hunters,’ or do you think it would draw patients who wanted the best, and expected to pay a little MORE for it?

So how much is THAT worth to you? An extra hundred thousand a year? An extra FIVE hundred thousand a year?

I get a LOT of referrals where patients come to me, not because I have a laser, but because I am seen as cutting edge and a great dentist.

And parents? You know the routine. First the parents bring in the kids as guinea pigs. They sit there and watch me use the Waterlase. Well, being the ham that I am, I really talk it up and give lots of ‘oooohs’ and ‘ahhhhs.’ I tell them how amazing this is. They see their child laying there, not moving a muscle, totally relaxed, no anesthetic. And soon I say, “Well, we’re done.”

The parent now is amazed and goes to make an appointment for him/herself. Even if I didn’t market my lasers, this alone would make the value of lasers WAY more than the cost. In addition to all this, there are a number of things that the laser will allow you to do to increase the actual income per patient. Let’s talk about just a few.

First, my all time favorite—crown lengthening with the Waterlase. You’ve all seen it—and maybe quite often. There’s decay under an old amalgam, right down to interproximal bone. Refer for crown lengthening? Upset patient? Your production shot?

“I love my diode for cost, ease of use and portability. If I practiced in a state that allowed hygienists to use lasers I would have one in every hygiene room. We now leave it in one of our hygiene rooms and use it there for bleaching and then wheel it into the others when I need it. In my main operatory, I use the Waterlase for everything. From an immediate post-op impression, healing visually appears to begin immediately after lasing the pocket even though, obviously, it really hasn’t. For whatever the reason, when I use the Waterlase, there is an immediate lessening of redness, inflammation, etc. clinically.”

–Stewart Rosenberg, Official Townie DentalTown Message Boards: Best laser for use in periodontal treatment 09-23-2002

Here's what I say: “Mr. Jones, the decay is REALLY deep. The old filling was already very deep, and now the decay is right down to the jawbone. I know you don’t want to lose this tooth. And I do have a little good news for you. Until recently, I would have had to send you to the gum surgeon. He would have had to do bone surgery with stitches. And the area would have been sore for quite some time. We would have had to wait a couple months for healing before we could complete the crown.

“But I now have the Waterlase LASER. This incredible instrument can remove a little bone where we need it without making incisions or needing stitches. We can still take the crown impression today. And since we use a laser, there is very little discomfort afterwards, and the healing is very fast. And best of all, the cost is only about half of what it would have cost with the gum surgeon.”

It takes me about 60 seconds to do crown lengthening in one interproximal space with my Waterlase. Bone is removed like butter. It’s easy to simply rest the side of the end-cutting tip against the tooth (both the tooth you’re prepping, and the adjacent tooth). Then you angle it out toward the buccal and lingual, under the gingiva to prevent creating an ‘interproximal crater.’

It’s the perfect win-win. The patient benefits tremendously! And you get paid an extra $400 or more for one minute’s work. How many of those would it take to pay the $1,000 monthly lease payment?

And how about perio treatment with the laser? You can use the Waterlase, but my favorite is the TwiLite/LaserSmile.

I’ve done all my own perio surgery and bone regeneration for years. I’ve done two clinical studies on bone regeneration. I’m not some dentist who never treated gum disease, then got a laser, and is spouting about how great it is with nothing for comparison.

Well, as much as I love perio surgery, I often treat perio with my laser. And I’m always incredibly amazed at the results I get. AND, since I market perio treatment with the laser, I get a TON of patients coming to see me just for that.

You’re going to get them numb for root planing anyway. So after root planing, you simply use the laser. It’s quick—maybe 7-8 minutes a quad. And the least I’ve heard any dentist say that they charge for this is $400 per quad—that’s an extra $1,600 for a case. Not bad. One case easily pays your monthly laser lease payment.

OK, I hear some of you asking WHO is going to pay for that. How does insurance handle that–they don’t!

So, now you’re asking if the patients will go for something like this out of pocket.

Here's what I say: “Mrs. Jones, as Dr. Kurthy discussed with you, you have gum disease. Dr. Kurthy is very proficient in doing gum surgery, and even bone grafting. But he prefers to help patients avoid the need for surgery. As he discussed with you, he feels that laser treatment of the gums is one of the ‘new miracles’ in the field, and will help him keep you from needing gum surgery now or in the future.

“Unfortunately, dental insurance doesn’t yet cover this type of treatment. You will receive coverage for the other treatments you need for your gums, such as the root planing, bite adjustment, but you will be responsible for the laser treatment fees.”

Do you really think Mrs. Jones is going to say, “No, I’d rather have surgery!”? Of course not!

This is how Mrs. Jones replies: “Well, I wish the insurance company would help pay, but I certainly want to try to avoid gum surgery. And I don’t want to lose my teeth. I’ve had friends that have gone through that. So, whatever Dr. Kurthy thinks is alright with me.”

You can sell a ‘need’. It’s even easier to sell a ‘want’. But when it is BOTH a ‘need’ and a ‘want’, then it’s VERY easy to sell. These patients see laser gum treatment as something they ‘need’, and they ‘want’ to try to avoid surgery.

How many patients in your practice need soft tissue management/gum treatment? How many do you perform scaling and root planing on? If all of these patients also had the use of the laser along with their root planing your results be spectacular. Can you imagine the great addition to your annual gross income? Get out your calculator, but you better sit down first.

Of course there are many other uses of lasers, like troughing around crown preps. Sure, you could use an electrosurge, but what would the difference in the patient’s reaction be? “Wow! He just used a LASER on me!” Or, “Hmmm, he just burned my gums with some electric device.” Not quite the same. And how about the depth of tissue necrosis with electrosurge vs. the laser?

Gingival contouring. Oh man! I LOVE that! I do a LOT of this now–with and without veneers/jackets. Patients are very receptive BECAUSE I use a laser. They love it. The TwiLite diode laser is absolutely incredible for this procedure.

Gingival contouring. Oh man! I LOVE that! I do a LOT of this now–with and without veneers/jackets. Patients are very receptive BECAUSE I use a laser. They love it. The TwiLite diode laser is absolutely incredible for this procedure.

How often do you do a Class V, and end up packing a little cord to accomplish this? Then you nick the gingiva and get a little oozing. Oh, great! This also is one of the things I love about the Waterlase. I can do the Class V prep with no anesthetic. I can use the laser on the gingiva to reduce it a little–with no anesthetic. And if for some reason the gingiva starts bleeding, I can coagulate it with the laser–all with no anesthetic.

And there are many other uses and marketing potential for lasers, such as bleaching, performing root canal, frenectomies, removal of excess tissue that sometimes forms on the mucosal side right near the corners of the mouth and a lot more.

Wow, I’m sitting here typing this article, late on a Friday night and I can’t wait till Monday morning. I’ve been practicing dentistry for about 25 years, and it’s never been this much fun!

In closing, I’d like to thank a number of people for making my experience with lasers so positive. Special thanks to some of the laser gurus who are kind enough to share their knowledge and answer questions on the DentalTown.com message board forum. DentalTown is frequented by several laser pioneers like, Robert Gregg, Glenn van As, and Stewart Rosenberg. Thanks guys!

For more information on the Waterlase or the TwiLite/LaserSmile lasers please contact Biolase Technologies at 888-4-BIOLASE or visit their website at: www.biolase.com.


Rod Kurthy's
Soft Tissue Management Tips

If you do much in the way of soft tissue management, you probably have the patients rinse for a couple weeks, after their root planing/laser treatment, with Peridex. Often patients experience a horrible stain buildup that drives your hygienist crazy, right? For this problem, I recommend to my patients brush with Rembrandt Toothpaste. It will remove stains enzymatically and eliminates Peridex staining.

After the patient discontinues the Peridex rinse, I usually recommend my patients begin rinsing with Rembrandt Age Defying Mouthrinse. This product has a great deal of fluoride in addition to peroxide. I’ve found many of my perio patients have more margins exposed, so I really like the added fluoride.

For more information on Rembrandt products call 1-800-445-0345 or visit Den-Mat’s website at www.denmat.com.

Rodger “Rod” Kurthy, DMD, has a general practice in Mission Viejo, CA. Along with Howie Horrocks, he is the co-moderator of the DentalTown.com Marketing Forum. He has been involved in the study and implementation of Dental Marketing in his own practice for over 20 years, has published articles regarding dental marketing, and is the author of two books, one called The No-Coupon Marketable Dentist is available at www.newpatientsinc.com.

He completed a GP residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and has been involved in numerous areas of clinical research for 25 years. He has had over 40 articles published, is on the peer review board of a well-known medical journal, has written for the Richards Report and also interviewed for their famous tape series. Rodger is also a consultant to major consumer magazines such as People.

You can contact Rod on the message boards at www.dentaltown.com or email him directly at drrodger@cox.net.

An invitation from Rod Kurthy
If you want to learn some tried and true practice building techniques, I’d like to personally invite you to attend the first annual DentalTown Extravaganza in Las Vegas, to be held February 6, 7, & 8, 2003.

I will be there with Howie Horrocks of New Patients, Inc. talking about marketing your practice, and not just marketing lasers. Other speakers include Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD; John Kanca, III, DMD; Sally McKenzie, CMC, and many more! For details just log onto www.towniemeeting.com.