REGISTER HERE

The Depth of Incision is rarely discussed in the laser surgery and laser dentistry educational texts and programs. However, it is one of the most important and critical features that every laser surgeon and dentist needs to master and excel at. Similarly, the Depth of Coagulation on the surgical margins is of great significance for the practicing laser surgeons and laser dentists. Unlike the laser treatment with the laser beams, the diode-powered hot glass tips obey very different laws of Physics, which defines their performance characteristics somewhere in between hot tip cautery devices and the non-ablative laser beam devices. This presentation includes both (1) a detailed discussion of how laser beam fluence and wavelength define the depth of laser beam incision/coagulation, as well as (2) a description of how the temperature and charring of the glass, as well as the hand speed, impact the thermo-mechanical interaction of the diode tip with the soft tissue.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the differences between ABLATIVE and NON-ABLATIVE lasers and wavelengths
2. Learn about controls over INCISION DEPTH and COAGULATION DEPTH
3. Learn about critical LASER SAFETY measures and LASER SURGERY TECHNIQUE basics