Cold sores aren’t just painful. Cold sores can harm your self-image, your confidence, and your enjoyment of life. Some people even have monthly breakouts that last for up to 15 days, meaning that they deal with tender lips for 26 weeks a year. You shouldn’t have to live like that. There are many treatments available over the counter that can shorten the life of a cold sore and treat painful symptoms.
One of the most innovative treatments is cold sore laser therapy. When caught early enough, laser therapy can heal cold sores within one or two days, before they ever develop a sore.
Laser Therapy Has Proven More Effective Than Antivirals Alone
Recent research has shown that laser therapy works more quickly than antiviral treatment on its own. According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), laser therapy reduced the pain and duration of the herpes virus faster than acyclovir cream.
An NCBI review of current research showed that laser therapy made breakouts less severe and less frequent. Clearly, laser therapy is a great way to make life with oral herpes a little easier, but for those who are also on antiviral medication, the combination of your current treatment and laser therapy can make for even faster results.
Does Laser Therapy Still Work if a Lesion Has Developed?
As with most cold sore treatments, therapy is most effective within the first 48 hours–before a lesion has a chance to develop. However, if a cold sore has completely developed, you can still experience some of the healing effects of the laser. You can enjoy pain relief and a faster healing time, even if it was too late to prevent a breakout altogether.
How Does Laser Therapy Stop Breakouts?
Cold sore laser therapy is often performed with a diode laser. These lasers are highly efficient, safe beams of LED light bounced between two mirrors. Unlike other forms of lasers, diode lasers create an extremely consistent beam of light that can target and eliminate the virus as it develops under the skin.
The heat also cauterizes those tender nerve endings, resulting in immediate and lasting pain relief.
How Can You Tell When You Will Need a Laser Treatment?
If the key to preventing a breakout is catching it early, it may help to know the signs that you’re about to experience a breakout. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of an upcoming cold sore:
- Itching, burning, or tingling around the lips
- Localized pain or throbbing
- Numbness
The more accustomed you become to these symptoms, the more easily you’ll be able to predict a breakout. This can make it easier for your dentist to treat your cold sores.
Get Laser Therapy at our Dentist in Mid Wilshire Los Angeles
At BLVD Dental, we use the latest in cutting-edge technology to offer our clients the highest quality of care. If you’re suffering from cold sores, you don’t have to continue living with the pain for weeks on end. We offer regular cold sore laser therapy treatments to shorten the life of your breakouts. In a single visit, we can make subsequent breakouts less severe and less frequent and treat your cold sore pain.
Call 323-676-2585 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
