AMD LASERS Picasso Lite
Soft-Tissue Laser
Ease of use and exceptional pricing make the Picasso Lite an ideal soft-tissue laser for first-time users.
Picasso Lite, from AMD LASERS, is a soft-tissue dental laser designed specifically to replace the use of scalpels and electro-surge in soft-tissue procedures. The laser offers 2.5 W of power and 3 customizable presets to enable tissue cutting and coagulating with reduced trauma, bleeding, and necrosis.
Picasso Lite is indicated for a range of soft-tissue surgeries, including troughing, gingivectomies, frenectomies, exposing implants/teeth/ortho brackets, and for treating aphthous ulcers and herpetic lesions.
Nine dentists and 1 hygienist, all current Picasso Lite users, participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation. They rated and commented on such features as precision during procedures, ease of use, practice integration, and price.
Precision and Presets
Precision during procedures was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators and as very good by 4. The evaluators also rated the usefulness of Picasso Lite’s preset procedures—6 as excellent and 4 as very good. One evaluator reported that it “cuts very slowly compared to traditional methods.” A dentist who called it much better than similar lasers suggested that the default preset “should automatically go to the lowest preset” and another evaluator said the presets “make using this unit effortless.”
The ability to cut tissue with minimal damage was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators, as very good by 2, as good by 1, and as fair by 1. One evaluator said “being able to reduce tissue without bleeding” was his favorite feature and another said, “I can do all procedures with the laser with patient comfort.”
Ease of Use
Picasso Lite’s ease of use and portability are enhanced by its ultra-compact and lightweight design. The laser comes with an easy-to-learn set-up DVD, online laser certification, accessories, and an international adaptor.
Ease of use was rated as excellent by 8 evaluators and as very good by 2. All 10 evaluators rated size and weight as excellent and, when asked about portability, 8 dentists rated it as excellent and 2 rated it as very good. One evaluator suggested being able to wind the fiber automatically. Two dentists cited portability as the feature they liked most and 5 cited ease of use, noting “ease of use in multiple procedures,” “a very short learning curve,” and “excellent ease of use, portability, and instructions.”
Practice Integration
Designed specifically for the firsttime dental laser user, Picasso Lite is priced at only $2,495 (approximately one-fifth the cost of other lasers) and comes with a 2-year warranty. Price and warranty were rated as excellent by 9 evaluators and as good by 1.
When asked about ease of integration into their practices, 5 evaluators rated Picasso Lite as excellent and 5 rated it as very good. “Once used,” said a dentist who gave all features an excellent rating, “there are many applications for the everyday dentist.” One evaluator reported “good support and training,” adding that he’d like “some media to practice on prior to clinical use.” An other evaluator cited “low entry cost into diode laser ownership” as the feature he liked most. “As a new laser user,” said an evaluator who reported he would definitely recommend it to colleagues, “I’ve found it to be very user-friendly, allowing me to incorporate it seamlessly into my practice.”
Overall Satisfaction
All 10 evaluators said they would definitely recommend Picasso Lite to their colleagues. Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators and as very good by 4. “Small size, small price, excellent power,” said 1 evaluator when asked about her fav orite feature. Another evaluator noted that “it not only allows me to treat conditions I couldn’t treat before owning one, it also makes my everyday dentistry much easier, yielding consistently predictable results.”
