Improving Gum Disease With Laser Periodontal Therapy – LANAP
Say goodbye to the pain and bleeding caused by gum disease. Call Bellmore Family Dental at (516) 781-7567 to schedule your consultation.
If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Most adults will receive the same diagnosis at some point during their lives. According to the CDC, almost 50% of Americans have periodontal disease, and that percentage jumps higher with age to more than 70% of people over 65.
In the past, most treatment plans for gum disease involved frequent dental visits for deep scaling and root planing, antibiotics to stop infection, or surgery. The idea of gum surgery can be daunting, but we want you to be aware of other treatment options that are less invasive and just as effective.
At Bellmore Family Dental in Bellmore, NY, our dental professionals can perform a minimally invasive periodontal procedure to treat your gum disease. Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, or LANAP, is the only laser periodontal therapy that the FDA has approved for this purpose, and we are proud to offer it. This option provides our patients who have periodontitis with another tool to protect their teeth.
Why Gum Disease Matters
Dental hygienists may have nagged you during routine dental check-ups about the importance of flossing. Our goal is good oral health, especially for your gums so that you can prevent periodontal disease. This condition occurs when bacteria find a way between your teeth and gums and invade those spaces around the roots.
These deep pockets become a breeding ground for more bacteria, which can lead to gum inflammation and irritation. If you do not treat this condition, gum disease will develop, leading to bone loss and loose teeth. Periodontal disease also contributes to other medical problems, including heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and strokes.
Here are some of the signs that you may have gum disease:
- Swollen or discolored gums
- Bleeding and tenderness around gums
- Bad breath
- Loose teeth
- Spaces between teeth
- Pain with chewing and brushing
If you experience any of these symptoms, call our office for an appointment. Please do not wait until your gum disease worsens to see our dental professionals.
Why LANAP Periodontal Treatment Helps
Traditionally, we’ve treated moderate to advanced gum disease primarily with surgical techniques that include (1) pocket reduction and (2) soft tissue or bone grafts.
Gum surgery involves using a scalpel to cut away any diseased gum sections and then inspecting the integrity of the roots. The dental surgeon cleans away any infection and then uses some bone material to shore up the areas that have bone loss. We then stitch the gums together again so that they surround the teeth.
Since its FDA approval in 2004, LANAP therapy has helped patients with gum disease get relief from pain and swelling without invasive surgery. We perform this type of laser gum-disease treatment in our office, with little to no downtime. Some of our patients report that they can return to work the same day, with minimal discomfort.
The ultra-thin laser can function in a similar way to surgical methods as it removes infected gum tissue and any plaque buildup on the roots. The LANAP laser then cauterizes or seals the gums to reattach them to the teeth. We can complete the entire procedure in the office in just one or two visits, each lasting about an hour.
After your procedure, you should be able to resume normal activities with mild or no discomfort. We advise you to stick to soft foods for a few days to allow your gums time to heal. You do not have to worry about returning to our office to have stitches removed because there are no stitches with LANAP.
How Laser Periodontal Therapy Benefits You
With LANAP laser gum disease treatment, you have several benefits that go beyond the procedure itself: the treatment is faster, easier to recover from, and does not require stitches. LANAP also affords you these advantages over other treatment methods:
- Reduced pain
- Less swelling or bleeding
- No loss of gum tissue volume
- Decreased root sensitivity
- Promotion of bone and connective tissue formation
With our laser treatment, you may even see the reversal of your periodontal disease symptoms, including gum recession.
Another significant benefit of LANAP periodontal therapy is that it helps our patients who take blood-thinning medication. With LANAP laser gum treatment, bleeding is minimal. The laser may also stimulate blood clot formation around the treated gums. Our patients can have the laser procedure without disrupting their anticoagulant medication regimen.
These patients typically stop taking these prescriptions for a day or two before dental procedures and wait a day afterwards to minimize bleeding before resuming medicine. If they forget, they may have to reschedule their appointment to lower their risk of excessive blood loss.
Where You Should Go for Laser Periodontal Therapy
Moderate to advanced gum disease is both preventable and treatable. At Bellmore Family Dental, our experienced and trained professionals will walk you through the process of laser gum disease treatment. Call Bellmore Family Dental at (516) 781-7567 or contact us online to learn more about this and other services we offer to residents of Bellmore, NY, and surrounding communities.