Photo-Activated Disinfection (PAD) is a dental treatment that kills bacteria with less damage to surrounding tooth tissue than traditional methods.
It is one of the most significant advances in dentistry for many years. Using low energy laser light shone onto a tooth surface, cavity or root canal, that has been coated with a special liquid, bacteria are virtually eliminated (99.9%).
The benefits of using this technique are that less tooth structure needs to be removed to eliminate decay - leaving a stronger, healthier tooth. Thus less drilling is necessary. Recurrent decay is rarer and healing of the damaged tooth is encouraged. It is particularly useful in children whose teeth may not yet be fully matured. It is available to treat decay in teeth & as part of root canal treatment. There are also early indications that it may have a role in helping to control gum diseases.
