Facial Aesthetics Treatments with a Laser (Podcast)

John: Hi, I am John Maher and I’m here today with Dr. Nammy Patel, founder of Green Dentistry in San Francisco, California. Helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole body health. And author of the bestselling books Age with Style: Your Guide to a Youthful Smile & Healthy Living and Total Wellness: Understanding the Link Between Your Teeth and Your Health. Today, our topic is facial aesthetics treatments with a Laser. Welcome, Dr. Nammy.

Dr. Nammy Patel: Hi, John. Thank you for having me.

How do Facial Aesthetic Treatments with a Laser Work?

John: Sure. So Dr. Nammy, I understand that you have a new laser tool in your dental office and we’ve talked a little bit about using that laser to help with snoring, but you can also do some facial aesthetic treatments with the laser as well. Talk a little bit about the laser and why you got it and then what types of aesthetic treatments you can do with it.

Dr. Nammy: One of the things I’ve learned is that we all love to look young and feel young, and it is the hardest thing to do as this thing called aging naturally happens. We find ourselves frustrated, we find ourselves looking in the mirror at these little wrinkles, and a lot of times we find this second chin that happens after 40. It’s like, holy moly, how did that come about? I exercise, I eat healthy, what’s happening?

So, I find my patients telling me all the time like, “Hey, what can we do about this? What can we do about this?” So I was looking for options and materials that are out there. Also, I am all about natural medicine. So personally, I’m all about really looking at what can we do to slow down this aging cycle and also, what can we do to give our body the right nutrients and needs in order to be able to heal ourselves.

So, what I started doing is using a laser. It’s fantastic. It is a laser that goes on the inside of the mouth and what it can do is take away the smile lines that we have. Also, the wrinkles on the cheeks. And the beauty about all of this is that the laser is done internally from the inside of the mouth, which is pretty phenomenal. We laser the cheek. From the cheek, it starts tightening the outside of the cheeks and it really starts firming up that collagen to give it a more youthful look and it’s really nice to be able to have.

We can also do that to the back of the throat and the base of the tongue. So what it does is starts getting this double chin area and it starts releasing that. And it just tightens it up over a period of time. Usually about 21 days is what it takes, but we can see a difference of the same day and the next day, which is pretty awesome.

Facial Treatments from Inside the Mouth

John: So, are you saying that you actually use the laser from the inside of the mouth going out, or are you applying the laser on the outside of the face?

Dr. Nammy: No, we’re actually using the laser from the inside of the mouth, which is fantastic because we don’t have to worry about going in the sun. We don’t have to worry about any other concerns. And the beauty of going from the inside of the mouth is that we are actually hitting the collagen fibers all the way through. And what that does, it allows actually new collagen production. And that’s what we really want is new collagen production. And with a fractional laser, what it does is it doesn’t melt the collagen or anything like that or heat the collagen. What it does, it just creates a little pin-like little irritation, and what that does is… Or stimulation really, not an irritation, it’s a stimulation and it starts getting our body to start saying, hey, start producing collagen, make things nice and tight. And it’s really wonderful to be able to do that.

Why Choose a Holistic Dentist?

John: So why would people want to maybe get some of these aesthetic treatments done by a holistic dentist like yourself as opposed to going to some other place like a medical spa or something like that?

Dr. Nammy: Well, we can always go to a medical spa. We know that. The main reasons for doing that with a dentist is that number one, super safe laser. You don’t have to worry about going into the sun or anything like that.

The second thing is that we know the specific areas of the mouth that will not impact for the back of the throat and underneath to get rid of that double chin. We’re able to do it and also it’s longer lasting. It’s tighter fibers and also longer lasting because of the way when we have the outer skin, we have more layers to go through. Versus when it’s from the inside of the mouth, the tissue is very vascular, so it means it has a lot of blood vessels in it. So it heals faster, which is really awesome to be able to have and who wants pain anyways? So this is a quick, easy procedure. It’s faster, more efficient, more comfortable, and that’s a main reason to have a dentist perform this procedure.

How Long Does it Take for Facial Treatments to Take Effect?

John: So, you said that you can see some effects right away and then it usually takes like 21 days or so before you see full effects. Do you have to do multiple treatments in order for that to happen or is this just one treatment?

Dr. Nammy: Usually, one treatment and actually you see the results the day after. You see the results the day of, and then you start seeing 90% of the results the day after. The lasers continue to tighten and tighten and tighten over a period of 21 days. But you really, visually you’ll see the difference right away.

What Should People Know About Aesthetic Laser Facial Treatments?

John: Then is there anything that people should know about the treatment itself or recovery time or anything that they should do to prepare for the treatment?

Dr. Nammy: Honestly, it’s pretty straightforward, very easy. Just making sure you’re feeling comfortable with the provider and honestly, I’ve had every single person just being like, oh my God, this is so easy. So easy and they’re very happy with it. So no complaints on my end. I would have to say. Or no complaints on a patient’s end and just really eagerness to get started.

John: All right, well that’s really great information, Dr. Nammy, thanks again for speaking with me today.

Dr. Nammy: My pleasure, John.

Learn More About Green Dentistry and Laser Treatments

John:  And for more information about Green Dentistry and the laser treatments that are available, visit the website at sfgreendentist.com or call 415-433-0119.