Everyone's experienced it one time or another: sweaty palms and weak knees upon entering the dentist's office, hoping not to hear the dreaded "C" word. But new laser treatments that make dental work relatively painless are beginning to take the place of drill.

Recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Dental Laser is making its way into the dentists' office, allowing people with an aversion to dental check-ups to breathe a sigh of relief.

The laser prevents bleeding and causes little pain, said Dr. Brian White, a dentist who has used the laser since December. No anesthesia is needed because the patient cannot feel the low amounts of energy pulsed on the treated area, he said. He demonstrated that the laser is not even strong enough to burn through paper.

"(We use it for) gum disease, cold sores, ulcers, and some decay is removed without anesthetic, with relatively little pain," White said in his office at 141 E. Fairmount Ave.

White and his partner, Dr. Brian Christian, hope to ease the pain and fear associated with the dentist's chair.

"This is just the beginning . . . I always look for things that will make the patients more comfortable," White said, adding that the laser isn't replacing current methods but enhancing them.

According to the June/July 1990 issue of Dentistry Today, the American Dental Laser combines and electrically stimulates the element neodymium and the compound yttrium aluminum garnet to produce the laser beam. The intensity of the beam is controlled by a foot pedal, allowing pulses of light to clean teeth, remove decay and perform root canals.

"I'm pretty impressed with what it has been able to do . . . more research needs to be done with it, but this is certainly a start," Christian said.

"This will not only revolutionize the practice of dentistry, but will revolutionize (patient) experience with dentistry," said Susan Goldsmith, communications specialist for the American Dental Laser company, the laser's manufacturer.

White said he has had varying degrees of success using the laser without anesthesia for treatment on adults, adding that it takes more time to remove decay with a laser than a drill.

Carol Peters, one of about 20 of White's patients who have undergone the laser treatment, prefers the laser over traditional drill treatments.

"My mouth got a lot sorer with the drill than with the laser. I think it's great," Peters said.

White said the laser should ease the fears children have of shots and the whirr and vibration of the dentist's drill.

"Kids like it when you shine the little red (aiming) light on their hand," Christian said, noting the laser is not strong enough to damage teeth.

For apprehensive children, "I can say I'm going to shine a light on their tooth and brush out Mr. Tooth Decay, " White said.

Amy Bobby, a sixth-grader at Bellefonte Middle School, prefers the laser.

" I like the laser better," Bobby said. " I didn't know whether it was going to sting or burn, but I only felt a little rubbing on my tooth."

Bobby said she disliked the drill, but liked the shot even less.

Her advice to classmates who fear the dentist would be "not to worry 'cause it doesn't hurt."