"I remind parents that this is a very important time, " says Dr. Beverly Largent, a pediatric dentist in Paducah, Kentucky.

CNN: Baby's teeth: What you should know

Lasers use a light beam to cut away tooth decay before filling cavities, resulting in less vibration and pain than traditional drills, says Barry Jacobson, a pediatric dentist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

WSJ: To Cut Tooth Decay: A Laser vs. a Drill