Laser Dentistry Fletcher

Soft-tissue laser · Fletcher NSW 2287

Laser Dentistry Fletcher

Laser dentistry uses a focused beam of light energy, instead of a scalpel or a drill, to treat soft tissue inside the mouth. At MS Dental Fletcher, 9 Churnwood Drive, it is used for selected soft-tissue procedures, including tongue-tie and lip-tie release. Patients come to our Fletcher clinic from Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend, Elermore Vale, Rankin Park and across the western Newcastle corridor.

Families also travel to us from across regional NSW, including Scone, Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Gloucester, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey and the Central Coast.

Call (02) 4953 8614 to book Send an enquiry

✓ AHPRA registered dentist
✓ All health funds welcome
✓ Laser appointments by phone
✓ WaterLase erbium laser

A treatment room at MS Dental Fletcher, set up for a soft-tissue procedure.

WHERE: 9 Churnwood Drive
Fletcher NSW 2287
PHONE: (02) 4953 8614
LASER DAYS: Every Thursday
Every second Wednesday
BOOKING: By phone only
Referral for infants & toddlers

Laser dentistry at our Fletcher clinic

Laser dental treatment in Fletcher

MS Dental Fletcher is a family-owned dental clinic on Churnwood Drive in Fletcher NSW 2287, part of a practice that has served Newcastle families for more than ten years. Laser dentistry is one of the treatment options available here, used alongside conventional dentistry rather than in place of it.

Our Fletcher clinic uses WaterLase, an erbium (Er,Cr:YSGG) dental laser that combines light energy with a fine water spray. The water keeps the tissue cool during treatment, and the laser tends to seal small blood vessels as it works, which usually means less bleeding and fewer sutures than a scalpel.

Laser treatment may be considered for patients who need a small soft-tissue procedure, for infants and children requiring a tongue-tie or lip-tie release, for anxious patients who find the drill distressing, and for patients whose medical history makes reduced bleeding desirable. Suitability is always determined individually. Your dentist will examine the area, take a full history, and explain both the laser and the conventional options before you decide.

A dentist and dental assistant treating a patient at MS Dental.

10+years caring for Newcastle families

3clinics across Newcastle

5laser procedures offered at Fletcher

The principle

What is laser dentistry?

A dental laser produces a narrow, concentrated beam of light energy that is absorbed by tissue, letting the dentist cut, shape or remove it in a controlled way without the pressure, vibration and noise of a rotary drill. Lasers are grouped broadly into soft-tissue lasers, which work on gum and oral mucosa, and hard-tissue lasers, which can also work on enamel and dentine.

Dental laser handpiece in use during a soft-tissue procedure at MS Dental.

How the treatment works

The laser delivers energy at a specific wavelength, chosen because water and the pigment in soft tissue absorb it readily. The energy is taken up by the target and dissipates quickly rather than travelling into the surrounding area, so it vaporises tissue in a thin, precise layer.

Small blood vessels at the margin tend to be sealed as the laser passes, so bleeding is usually reduced and sutures are often unnecessary. Nerve endings at the surface are affected in the same way, which is why some patients report less sensitivity immediately after treatment. Neither effect removes the need for anaesthetic in every case.

What WaterLase is

An erbium dental laser made by Biolase. Unlike an air-cooled laser, it energises a fine spray of atomised water and directs that spray at the tissue, a process the manufacturer describes as hydrophotonics. The water keeps the site cool and hydrated during treatment.

In practice this allows a controlled margin, generally with reduced bleeding and, for some procedures, less anaesthetic. The extent of that difference varies between patients and between procedures.

What we treat

Laser treatments available at Fletcher

Laser periodontal therapy is not offered at this clinic. Gum disease is treated conventionally.

MOST COMMON REASON FOR REFERRAL

Laser tongue-tie treatment

A tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, is a restrictive band of tissue under the tongue that limits its movement. In infants this is usually raised because of difficulty feeding. In older children and adults it may affect speech or oral hygiene. Where treatment is indicated, the laser releases the band in a short procedure, generally with minimal bleeding and without sutures.

A diagnosis cannot be made from a visual check alone, because a posterior or sub-mucosal tie is often not visible. Assessment requires a detailed symptom history and a manual examination, including palpation, by a practitioner experienced in tethered oral tissue. A referral is required for infant and toddler appointments.

Tongue and lip-tie removal

Laser lip-tie treatment

A lip-tie is a restrictive frenum between the lip and the gum, most commonly the upper lip. It can interfere with an infant’s latch during feeding and, in some cases, with cleaning around the upper front teeth. Where release is clinically indicated, the laser divides the frenum in the same short appointment format as a tongue-tie release.

Treatment is recommended only where symptoms and examination together support it. The presence of a frenum on its own is not a reason to treat.

Laser treatment for oral growths

Benign soft-tissue lesions in the mouth, such as fibromas, papillae and blood blisters, can be removed with the laser. The lesion is examined first.

Any tissue that raises clinical concern is sent for histopathology rather than being simply removed, and your dentist will refer you if further investigation is warranted.

Exposure of unerupted teeth

Where a tooth is fully formed but covered by gum tissue and cannot break through, the laser can lift that tissue to expose the crown.

This is most often requested as part of orthodontic treatment, so that a bracket can be bonded to a tooth that has not erupted on its own.

Laser operculectomy

An operculum is the flap of gum tissue that sits over a partially erupted tooth, most commonly a lower wisdom tooth. It can trap food and become repeatedly inflamed, a condition known as pericoronitis. Where the tooth itself is otherwise sound and does not need removal, the laser can remove the flap.

Where the tooth is the underlying problem, extraction is usually the more appropriate treatment.

Suitability

Who may be suitable for laser dentistry?

Laser dentistry is a technique, not a treatment plan. Whether it suits you depends on the condition being treated, its position in the mouth, your medical history and your own preferences. This is general guidance and does not replace an assessment.

MAY BE SUITABLE

When a dentist may recommend it

The procedure involves soft tissue only, and the treatment margin is small and well defined.
A tongue-tie or lip-tie release is indicated for an infant or child after a full history and manual examination.
Reduced bleeding at the site would be an advantage, for example where a patient bruises or bleeds easily.
A patient finds the noise and vibration of the drill distressing and a laser alternative exists for the procedure.
Sutures would be difficult to place or to manage, such as in a very young patient.

MAY NOT BE SUITABLE

When another approach is better

The condition is better treated conventionally, for example a tooth that requires extraction rather than tissue removal.
Gum disease is present. Periodontal treatment at our Fletcher clinic is carried out conventionally, and laser periodontal therapy is not offered here.
The lesion requires surgical excision with margins, or biopsy and specialist referral.
A medical condition, medication or a photosensitising treatment makes laser use inadvisable; your dentist will review your history.
The area cannot be accessed safely, or the patient cannot remain still enough for the procedure to be carried out precisely.

What it changes

Benefits of laser dentistry

These advantages are typical of soft-tissue laser treatment. They are not guaranteed, and how much difference you notice depends on the procedure and on you as an individual.

Precise and targeted treatment

The beam works to a fine margin, so the dentist can remove or reshape a small amount of tissue while leaving the tissue beside it intact. This matters most where the area is small, as with a frenum, or where the shape of the result is important.

Reduced impact on surrounding tissue

Because the energy is absorbed by the target tissue and the water spray keeps the site cool, the effect on the surrounding area is limited. Bleeding at the margin is usually reduced, and sutures are often not required for soft-tissue work.

Comfort during treatment

There is no drill noise and little vibration, which many patients, particularly anxious patients and children, find easier to tolerate. This does not mean the procedure is free of sensation, and local anaesthetic is still used where the procedure calls for it.

Healing and recovery

Soft-tissue laser sites are often reported to settle comfortably, and where no sutures are needed there is nothing to remove at a later visit. Some discomfort in the days after any oral procedure is normal, and recovery times vary between patients. Your dentist will give you written aftercare instructions and a realistic recovery timeframe for your procedure.

What the laser changes

No drill noise and little vibration during treatment.
Bleeding at the margin is usually reduced.
Sutures are often unnecessary for soft-tissue work.
Some procedures need less anaesthetic than the conventional approach.

What stays the same

You are assessed, and consent, before anything begins.
Local anaesthetic is still used where the procedure calls for it.
Some discomfort in the days afterwards is normal.
Recovery times vary from patient to patient.

Your appointment

What to expect during laser dental treatment

Four stages, usually across one or two visits. Nothing proceeds until you have a written plan and have agreed to it.

Your initial consultation

Your first appointment is a conversation before it is anything else. We ask what brought you in, what you have noticed and for how long, and we take a full medical, dental and functional history. For an infant referred for feeding difficulty, we ask in detail about feeding, weight gain and any support you already have in place.

Medical, dental and functional history
Symptoms and timeline

Assessment and treatment planning

The dentist examines the area, palpates it where a tethered oral tissue is suspected, and takes photographs if they are needed to see the full picture. You then receive a treatment plan setting out what is recommended, whether a laser is appropriate, what the alternatives are and what the treatment will cost. Nothing proceeds until you have that in writing and have agreed to it.

Examination
Written plan and cost

During the procedure

Everyone in the room, including you, wears protective eyewear rated for the laser wavelength. Where anaesthetic is required, a topical numbing gel is applied before the local anaesthetic so the injection itself is more comfortable. Most soft-tissue treatments are completed within a single short appointment.

For infant and toddler laser treatment, parents are asked to wait in the recovery area while the procedure is underway.

Protective eyewear
Usually one short visit

Aftercare and recovery

You leave with written aftercare instructions on the day. For a tongue-tie or lip-tie release, this includes active wound-management stretches, which vary by age: for infants, every four to six hours for up to four weeks; for toddlers through to adults, three times a day for four weeks, as instructed.

For other soft-tissue procedures, it generally means brushing gently around the site, rinsing with warm salt water, taking the first day or two quietly, and avoiding swimming or heavy activity such as exercise for the first 48 hours. Standard analgesics are usually sufficient for any discomfort.

Written instructions
Review at two weeks

Call the clinic if bleeding does not settle, if swelling increases after the first day, or if you develop a fever. A review appointment is arranged at two weeks to check that the site is healing as expected.

MS Dental Fletcher · (02) 4953 8614

Safety

Is laser dentistry safe?

Dental lasers are regulated as therapeutic goods in Australia and are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Used by a trained, registered practitioner with the correct safety controls in place, laser treatment is an established part of dentistry. As with any procedure there are risks, and your dentist will explain the ones relevant to your treatment before you consent.

Six controls, used every time

Wavelength-specific protective eyewear for the patient, the dentist and every person in the room.
Laser use restricted to trained clinicians, with device settings selected for the specific procedure and tissue.
Controlled access to the treatment room while the laser is in operation.
Water spray and suction to keep the site cool and to manage the plume.
Review of your medical history, medications and any photosensitising treatment before the laser is used.
Routine device maintenance and calibration in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Does it require anaesthetic?

Sometimes. It depends on the procedure, the depth of tissue involved and the age and comfort of the patient. Some minor soft-tissue procedures can be completed with topical anaesthetic alone; others are carried out under local anaesthetic in the usual way. Local anaesthetic is not used for infants.

The laser has a mild analgesic effect on the treated surface, but that is not a substitute for anaesthetic where anaesthetic is indicated. Your dentist will tell you what to expect before treatment begins.

Our team

Who would treat you

Laser treatment at our Fletcher clinic is carried out by our Principal Dentist. All MS Dental clinicians are registered with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA.

Dr Monika Shah

Principal Dentist and founder

Dr Monika holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (2006) and completed her Australian Dental Council examinations after moving to Australia in 2007. She opened MS Dental in 2016 and leads the clinical team across all three clinics.

Registered with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA · DEN0001406036

Our practice follows the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights, and every clinician undertakes ongoing professional development.

Why this clinic

Why choose MS Dental Fletcher for laser dentistry?

Modern dental technology

Our Fletcher clinic is equipped with a WaterLase erbium dental laser, alongside digital radiography and intra-oral imaging. AIR-FLOW biofilm and stain removal is also available at Fletcher. The equipment matters less than the person using it, but it does mean we can offer a laser option where a laser is genuinely the better tool for the job.

Individual assessment and planning

We do not treat a laser as a default. Every recommendation follows a history, an examination and a written plan that sets out the options, the steps, the timeframe and the cost. If conventional treatment is the better choice, that is what we will recommend, and we will explain why.

Local dental care in Fletcher

MS Dental Fletcher is an independent, family-run clinic, not part of a corporate group. Because the same team looks after your general dentistry, your children’s dentistry and any follow-up care, the clinician carrying out a laser procedure already knows your history and will see you afterwards.

Laser dentistry near Newcastle

Fletcher sits in the western Newcastle corridor, roughly fifteen minutes from Newcastle’s inner suburbs by car. For patients searching for laser dentistry in Newcastle, our Churnwood Drive clinic is often the closest practical option, with off-street parking. Laser appointments run every Thursday and every second Wednesday, and families travel to us from as far as Scone, Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Gloucester, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey and the Central Coast.

Find us

Visit our Fletcher clinic

Off-street parking, and roughly fifteen minutes from Newcastle’s inner suburbs by car.

MS Dental Fletcher

Serving Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend, Elermore Vale, Rankin Park and regional NSW

Address: 9 Churnwood Drive, Fletcher NSW 2287
Phone: (02) 4953 8614
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (every second week)
Laser days: Every Thursday and every second Wednesday
Health funds: All private health funds welcome; preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS

Call to book a laser appointment

The reception desk at MS Dental Fletcher. — Reception at our Fletcher clinic

Fees

Cost of laser dentistry in Fletcher

There is no single price for laser dentistry, because the term covers procedures that differ considerably in scope.

You get a written quote first

You will receive a written quote at your consultation, before any treatment is booked, so you know the cost in advance. Nothing proceeds until you have seen it and agreed to it.

WHAT AFFECTS THE FEE

Four things that change the cost

The specific procedure and how extensive it is.
The number of sites treated in the mouth.
Whether radiographs are needed as part of the assessment.
Whether the consultation and the procedure are carried out at the same visit or separately.

One follow-up review appointment is part of the treatment, at no extra charge.

Private health insurance

The consultation and the laser procedure may attract a rebate under the extras component of private health insurance, with the amount depending on your fund and your level of cover. The item numbers commonly used are 014 and 016 for the consultation and 391 for each laser treatment; take these to your fund to check your rebate before you book.

MS Dental Fletcher is a preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS, which means a higher rebate on treatment for members of those funds. Interest-free payment options are available through Afterpay, subject to eligibility. Terms and conditions apply.

Questions

Frequently asked questions about laser dentistry

What is laser dentistry?

Laser dentistry is the use of a focused beam of light energy to treat tissue in the mouth, instead of a scalpel or a drill. The energy is absorbed by the target tissue and cuts or reshapes it precisely. At our Fletcher clinic it is used for selected soft-tissue procedures, where a clinical assessment shows it is the appropriate tool.

What dental treatments can be performed using a laser?

At our Fletcher clinic the laser is used for tongue-tie and lip-tie release, removal of benign oral growths, exposure of unerupted teeth and operculectomy. Laser periodontal therapy is not offered at Fletcher; gum disease is treated conventionally. Your dentist will confirm which procedures apply to your situation at your assessment.

Is laser dentistry painful?

For children and adults, most soft-tissue laser procedures are carried out under local anaesthetic and are not painful during treatment. A numbing gel is applied before the injection. Afterwards, some discomfort is normal for a few days, particularly when eating, and standard analgesics are usually sufficient. Local anaesthetic is not used for infants; your dentist will explain what to expect for your baby at the assessment. Pain is individual and your experience may differ.

Is laser dentistry safe?

Yes, when performed by a trained, registered dental practitioner with the correct controls in place. Dental lasers are regulated therapeutic goods in Australia. Everyone in the treatment room wears wavelength-specific protective eyewear, and your medical history is reviewed before the laser is used. Your dentist will explain the risks relevant to your treatment.

Do I need anaesthetic for laser dental treatment?

Sometimes. It depends on the procedure, the depth of tissue involved and the age and comfort of the patient. Some minor procedures need only a topical anaesthetic; others are carried out under local anaesthetic. Local anaesthetic is not used for infants. The laser’s mild analgesic effect does not replace anaesthetic where anaesthetic is indicated. Your dentist will confirm this beforehand.

How long does laser dental treatment take?

Most soft-tissue laser procedures at our Fletcher clinic are completed within a single short appointment, and the laser work itself often takes only a few minutes. The overall appointment is longer because it includes preparation, anaesthetic where needed and aftercare instructions. Your dentist will give you a timeframe at your assessment.

How long does it take to recover after laser dentistry?

Recovery varies by procedure and by patient. Discomfort is usually greatest in the first day or two and settles from there. Where no sutures are required there is nothing to remove later. Follow the written aftercare instructions you are given, and attend the review appointment at two weeks so healing can be checked.

Who is suitable for laser dental treatment?

Suitability is decided individually. A laser may suit a small, well-defined soft-tissue procedure or an indicated tongue-tie or lip-tie release. It is not suitable where the condition needs conventional or surgical treatment, or where your medical history makes it inadvisable.

How much does laser dentistry cost in Fletcher?

The fee depends on the procedure, how extensive it is, the number of sites treated and whether radiographs are required. You will receive a written quote at your consultation, before any treatment is booked. Private health extras cover may provide a rebate, depending on your fund and level of cover.

Where can I find laser dentistry near Newcastle?

Our Fletcher clinic, at 9 Churnwood Drive, Fletcher NSW 2287, offers laser dentistry in the western Newcastle corridor and is convenient for patients from Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend, Elermore Vale, Shortland and the surrounding suburbs. Families also travel to us from regional NSW, including Scone, Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Gloucester, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey and the Central Coast. Call (02) 4953 8614 to arrange an assessment.

Next step

Book a laser dentistry consultation in Fletcher

If you would like to know whether laser treatment is an option for you or your child, call our Fletcher team to book an assessment. Laser appointments cannot be booked online. You will get a clear answer, in plain language, along with the alternatives and the cost in writing.

A referral is required for infant and toddler laser appointments. Children and adults do not need a referral.

✓ Bookings by phone
✓ New patients welcome
✓ Written quote before booking

Clinic details for MS Dental Fletcher
Clinic	MS Dental Fletcher
Address	9 Churnwood Drive, Fletcher NSW 2287
Phone	(02) 4953 8614
Book	By phone only; laser appointments cannot be booked online
Hours	Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Saturday 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (every second week)
Laser days	Every Thursday and every second Wednesday
New patients	Welcome. No referral required for children and adults; a referral is required for infant and toddler laser appointments

Call (02) 4953 8614

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