By Vanessa Freitas, DDS, ALD Laser Safety Committee Chair

Laser devices should always be handled with care. Depending on the laser’s potential to cause injury to the eyes or skin followed by direct exposure to the beam and/or secondary hazards, the lasers are divided into hazard classes (Class I, II, III and IV).

By Nick Clausen, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

 

When utilizing lasers, safety is always paramount. Many times, safety attention only goes towards things we immediately see or may feel. Because of this, sometimes laser plume hazards are not discussed as much.However, due to the recent pandemic, this topic has become top of mind for the dental patient. As a matter fact, Fortune Management asked all of their 1,000 doctors to survey their patients on what was most important during the pandemic and safety was No. 1 and same-day dentistry or doing as much as you can in a single visit, was No. 2 of things patients wanted most from their dentist.