Jun 16 2015
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital (UH Rainbow) is one of the first in the country to offer pediatric dentistry patients a virtually anesthesia-free alternative to the traditional drill for hard and soft tissue ablation.
Dentists at UH Rainbow are operating Convergent Dental’s Solea CO2 dental laser, which gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2013. The laser’s unique 9.3 µm wavelength provides a natural anesthetic effect while cutting dental enamel with unprecedented speed and precision. Patients experience virtually soundless, painless and sensationless procedures that take a fraction of the time of a traditional dental appointment because practitioners do not need to inject anesthetic or clean up blood.
“This technology is revolutionary for pediatric dental treatment,” said Gerry Ferretti, DDS, Division Chief of Pediatric Dentistry at UH Rainbow and Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “The laser is perfect for kids because it works quietly, quickly and without the lingering numbness of local anesthetic following a typical dental procedure. We think it will be especially helpful in treating children with special needs, who may have more anxiety about seeing a dentist.”
UH Rainbow owns two Solea units thanks to a generous gift from local philanthropists Tom and Anne Jenkins. One laser is housed at the hospital and the other is part of Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, UH Rainbow’s mobile dental clinic that provides dental care to underserved children in northern Ohio.
“Solea has proven to be an exemplary dental tool for pediatrics,” said Convergent Dental CEO Michael Cataldo. “We are proud to partner with UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital as we believe our CO2 dental laser is the key for making this generation the first that is not afraid of the dentist. Solea’s combination of speed, precision and virtually anesthesia-free capabilities lessens the intimidation factor of dental visits so children can receive the oral care they need to be healthy and happy.”
The Solea laser has been well-received, both by dentists and medical technology watchers. Popular Science magazine named it a “Best of What’s New” product for 2014, one of just 100 tech products recognized in the world for this honor. Solea also won the 2015 Gold Edison Award, Dentalcompare’s “Top New Product of 2014” and Dr. Bicuspid.com’s Dental Excellence Award as the “Best New Instrument/Device.”
“We are excited to be one of the first hospitals in the country to use this technology,” says Dr. Ferretti. “I believe this will truly change what it means to go to the dentist.”
About University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
Located on the campus of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is a 244-bed, full-service children’s hospital and academic medical center dedicated to the health care needs of children. A trusted leader in children’s health care for more than 125 years, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital consistently ranks among the top children’s hospitals in the nation. As the region’s premier resource for pediatric referrals, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s dedicated team of more than 1,300 pediatric specialists uses the most advanced treatments and latest innovations to deliver the complete range of pediatric specialty services for more than 700,000 patient encounters each year. Learn more at RainbowBabies.org.
Among the nation’s leading academic medical centers, UH Case Medical Center is the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, a nationally recognized leader in medical research and education.
About Convergent Dental, Inc.
Convergent Dental, Inc., is a privately owned dental equipment and technology company and developer of Solea™, the world’s first computer-aided, CO2 laser system to ever be cleared by the FDA for both hard and soft tissue indications. The only dental laser system able to deliver virtually anesthesia-free and blood-free procedures, Solea cuts significantly quieter, finer and faster than any other laser-based system in dentistry. Solea’s speed and precision is a result of patented technologies and computer system controls that are unique to Convergent Dental, Inc. For more information visit www.convergentdental.com. Follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
Source: http://www.convergentdental.com/