Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of BIOLASE and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and have been prepared on a basis consistent with the December 31, 2015 audited consolidated financial statements and include all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments and the elimination of all material intercompany transactions and balances, necessary to fairly present the information set forth therein. These unaudited, interim, consolidated financial statements do not include all the footnotes, presentations, and disclosures normally required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete consolidated financial statements. Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentations. The consolidated results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2015, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 11, 2016 (the “2015 Form 10-K”).
Liquidity and Management’s Plans	Liquidity and Management’s Plans The Company incurred a loss from operations, a net loss, and used cash in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The Company has also suffered recurring losses from operations during the three years ended December 31, 2015. The Company’s recurring losses, level of cash used in operations, the potential need for additional capital, and the uncertainties surrounding our ability to raise additional capital, raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern. As of March 31, 2016, the Company had working capital of approximately $16.6 million. The Company’s principal sources of liquidity as of March 31, 2016 consisted of approximately $6.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and $10.1 million of net accounts receivable. In order for us to continue operations beyond the next 12 months and be able to discharge our liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business, we must sell our products directly to end users and through distributors, establish profitable operations through increased sales, decrease expenses, generate cash from operations or obtain additional funds when needed. We intend to improve our financial condition and ultimately improve our financial results by increasing revenues through expansion of our product offerings, continuing to expand and develop our field sales force and distributor relationships both domestically and internationally, forming strategic arrangements within the dental and medical industries, educating dental and medical patients as to the benefits of our advanced medical technologies, and reducing expenses. Additional capital requirements may depend on many factors, including, among other things, continued losses, the rate at which the Company’s business grows, demands for working capital, manufacturing capacity, and any acquisitions that the Company may pursue. From time to time, the Company could be required, or may otherwise attempt, to raise capital, through either equity or debt offerings, or enter into a line of credit facility. The Company cannot provide assurances that it will be able to successfully enter into any such equity or debt financings or line of credit facility in the future or that the required capital would be available on acceptable terms, if at all, or that any such financing activity would not be dilutive to its stockholders.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U. S. GAAP”) requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Significant estimates in these consolidated financial statements include allowances on accounts receivable, inventory, and deferred taxes, as well as estimates for accrued warranty expenses, goodwill and the ability of goodwill to be realized, revenue deferrals, effects of stock-based compensation and warrants, contingent liabilities, and the provision or benefit for income taxes. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods may differ materially from those estimates.
Critical Accounting Policies	Critical Accounting Policies Information with respect to the Company’s critical accounting policies, which management believes could have the most significant effect on the Company’s reported results and require subjective or complex judgments by management is contained in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of the 2015 Form 10-K. Management believes that there have been no significant changes during the three months ended March 31, 2016 in the Company’s critical accounting policies from those disclosed in Item 7 of the 2015 Form 10-K.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in the principal market (or, if none exists, the most advantageous market) for the specific asset or liability at the measurement date (referred to as the “exit price”). The fair value is based on assumptions that market participants would use, including a consideration of nonperformance risk. Under the accounting guidance for fair value hierarchy there are three levels of measurement inputs. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs reflect input other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable, either directly or through collaboration with observable market data, other than Level 1. Level 3 inputs are unobservable due to little or no corroborating market data. The Company’s financial instruments, consisting of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these items.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Changes to U.S. GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of accounting standards updates (“ASU’s”) to the FASB’s Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASU’s. ASU’s not listed below were assessed and determined not to be applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle, and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on its consolidated financial statements and has not yet determined the method by which it will adopt the standard during the year ending December 31, 2018. In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued and provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going concern uncertainties in the financial statements. Certain disclosures will be required if conditions give rise to substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. ASU 2014-15 applies to all entities and is effective for annual and interim reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU 2015-11”), as part of its simplification initiative. The standard requires inventory within the scope of ASU 2015-11 to be measured using the lower of cost and net realizable value. The changes apply to all types of inventory, except those measured using the-last-in-first-out method or the retail inventory method. ASU 2015-11 applies to all entities and is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on its financial statements. In November 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740). Current GAAP requires an entity to separate deferred income tax liabilities and assets into current and noncurrent amounts in a classified statement of financial position. To simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes, the amendments in this ASU require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments in this ASU apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The Company will follow the guidance for fiscal year 2017. In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Leases. The new standard establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of its pending adoption of the new standard on its consolidated financial statements.
Income Tax Uncertainties	Accounting for uncertainty in income taxes prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition. The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties as a component of its income tax provision. With respect to the liability for unrecognized tax benefits, including related estimates of penalties and interest, the Company did not record a liability for unrecognized tax benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company does not expect any changes to its unrecognized tax benefit for the next twelve months that would materially impact its consolidated financial statements.