3 Amazing Benefits of Laser-Assisted Treatment

Almost 50% of American adults have some form of gum disease, and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. While typically from poor oral hygiene, some people are more prone to develop gum disease even if they brush and floss regularly. 

Gum disease is inflammation and infection of your tooth-supporting tissues. Mild gum disease is known as gingivitis, which causes puffy gums that bleed when you brush. It’s completely reversible with treatment. 

Periodontitis happens when the infection moves past your gums and into the supporting bone. If left untreated, the infectious bacteria can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. Severe periodontitis can cause erosion of your tooth-supporting bones and ligaments, leading to bone and even tooth loss.

Because periodontitis can wreak havoc on your oral health, it’s not reversible. Your provider can remove the damaging bacteria and tartar through surgery, while bone and gum grafts can replace some lost tissues. 

However, at Beaches Dentistry in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Nodesh Shyamsunder, BDS, Jasleen Raina, DDS, and the rest of our team offer laser-assisted gum disease treatment over traditional periodontal surgery to encourage new growth of bone and gum tissue. We discuss this cutting-edge treatment for gum disease in this month's blog. 

What is laser-assisted gum disease treatment?

There are a few different types of traditional periodontal surgery. Generally, the first step is to thoroughly clean your teeth and gums (deep scaling) before smoothing out your teeth so the bacteria can’t reattach (planing). Then, gum tissue pockets separated from your teeth get cleaned out as much as possible, and the open pockets get stitched back together. If tissue and bone loss are severe, the next step is performing grafts. 

However, at Beaches Dentistry, we offer a different approach using the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, or LANAP® protocol. The LANAP PerioLase® technology precisely destroys bacteria-infested tissue while leaving healthy tissue intact. It also creates the perfect environment for new bone and tissue to grow without a series of grafts.

What to expect during LANAP

If you suffer from periodontitis, you can be considered a candidate for LANAP. Before using the laser technology, your provider cleans your teeth and gums to remove as much plaque and tartar as possible. 

During the LANAP treatment, your provider uses a computer-assisted laser to target the open pocket of infected gum tissue. The precise laser can remove only the diseased and inflamed tissue and the bacteria. After the initial laser use, your provider cleans out any other debris and visible tartar before using the laser again to sterilize the bone and tissue. 

The laser also creates a blood clot, which stimulates the growth of new gum tissue and bone that eventually reattaches to your tooth, eliminating the need for stitches.  

Benefits of choosing LANAP over traditional periodontal surgery

The thought of dental surgery can be scary, especially if your mouth has taken a toll from destructive periodontitis. However, LANAP offers so many benefits over its invasive surgical counterpart. 

These are just three of the many benefits LANAP has to offer:

1. Less discomfort during the procedure 
2. Fewer surgical side effects, such as swelling and bleeding 
3. Reduced downtime and a faster overall recovery time

If you have periodontitis, don’t let fear of extreme treatment hold you back from receiving much-needed medical attention. You can schedule an appointment with our team over the phone or online today to learn how LANAP can comfortably help with your gum disease.