Laser Dentistry - LANAP
Periodontology
Periodontal (gum) disease occurs in more than 75% of Americans. Typical treatments for periodontal disease involve scraping between the gums and the tooth down to the root. As you can imagine, this is uncomfortable at best and painful at worst, even with anesthesia.
Some periodontists have begun using Laser Periodontal Therapy to help treat periodontal disease. The Periolase laser has been FDA-approved for use in the treatment of gum disease and, used in conjunction with traditional gum disease treatments, can help reduce fear and discomfort associated with gum procedures.
Periodontitis
Gingivitis left untreated can turn into a more serious gum condition known as periodontitis, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
Early periodontitis is typically treated with scaling and root planning, a painful scraping of the teeth down to the root. More serious cases require surgery.
Luckily, Laser Periodontal Therapy is becoming more and more prevalent in the offices of periodontists who want to make treatment of periodontitis less frightening and painful but just as effective for the patient. By using the FDA-approved Periolase lasesr to treat the area between the tooth and the gum, the treatment is much more comfortable and less invasive. LANAP takes the fear out of treating gum disease.
Periodontal surgery
Advanced gum disease (periodontitis) may require surgery. Typically, the periodontist will make incisions in the gums and pull them back to expose the roots and scrape them in a procedure known as pocket reduction or flap surgery.
In some cases, a Laser Periodontal Therapy called LANAP can be performed in place of invasive surgery with no cutting or stitching. The FDA-approved Periolase laser will be used to treat the “pocket” of gum tissue around the tooth root, with no need for extensive tissue or bone removal.
The laser energy destroys any bacteria in the pocket, and most patients report little to no pain associated with the procedure. In fact, preliminary studies have shown that laser surgery may even promote bone re-growth between the jawbone and teeth.
Alternative periodontal surgery/treatment
Traditional treatments for gum disease can be scary and painful; however there are some alternatives. Some non-traditional treatments include antibiotics applied directly to problem areas in the mouth.
Another alternative is periodontal treatment using the PerioLase laser, also called LANAP. Rather than cutting into the gum and scraping away infected tissue, a laser that has been FDA-approved for periodontal work is used to clean the area between the gums and the tooth root.
Patients find LANAP alternative treatment to be more comfortable than traditional periodontal treatment, sometimes even pain-free.
Initial studies of laser treatment for periodontal disease also suggest that the treatment promotes new bone growth between the teeth and the jaw.
Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP)
Periodontal disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. Traditional treatments of gum disease include painful scraping and root planing. Sometimes surgery must be performed where the gums are cut away to access the roots of infected teeth.
Enter LANAP, a revolutionary new laser system FDA-approved to help treat gum disease. In conjunction with traditional methods, the PerioLase laser used during LANAP helps more comfortably clean the pocket of tissue around the tooth root and promote healing.
Benefits of LANAP include:
- Comfortable, sometimes pain-free treatments
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- Less gum and tooth tissue loss than with traditional treatments
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- Reduced swelling and inflammation
- Less than 24 hour recovery
- Initial studies on LANAP also suggest it may promote new bone growth, further preventing tooth loss
Minimally invasive periodontal surgery
Minimally invasive surgeries have been sweeping the medical field, replacing traditional surgery which is more traumatic to the body and requires a longer recovery time.
For the treatment of gum disease, many periodontists are now employing minimally-invasive techniques using a surgical microscope and microsurgical instruments. Conservative periodontology uses smaller incisions and removes very little tissue. It focuses on the problem tooth and does not extend into healthy adjacent areas.
With minimally-invasive periodontal treatment, dental professionals have been able to avoid the unintended long term effects of traditional treatments, such as gum recession and residual pockets in deeper areas of the gum.
Lasers such as the PerioLase laser used in LANAP are also being used to clean pockets as a part of the minimally-invasive approach.
Patients prefer minimally-invasive surgery as it gets them back to normal activities more quickly.
Microscopic periodontal surgery
Microscopes are used in many areas of the medical field where precision is key. For the treatment of periodontal disease, microsurgery is also becoming more and more prevalent.
With microscopes and microsurgical instrumentation, periodontists are able to make smaller incisions in the gums and remove less tissue than with traditional surgeries. This minimally invasive technique has been shown to give better results as well, with less gum recession and shallower pockets around the teeth. Sometimes lasers, such as the PerioLase laser used in LANAP, are employed to clean the pockets.
With microscopic periodontal surgery, surgeons are also able to confine surgery to just the problem areas of the mouth without damaging healthy surrounding tissue. Patients enjoy a faster recovery period, too.
Advanced periodontal surgery
When gingivitis has progressed to periodontal disease, and the toxins in the bacteria of the mouth have begun to attack the roots and the jawbone, you have advanced periodontal disease.
This is the point when teeth begin to get loose and fall out. But advanced periodontitis can still be treated. Periodontal surgery and LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure) has been shown to be effective in cleaning the pockets of gum tissue around the teeth and their roots.
In initial studies, LANAP, using the FDA-approved PerioLase laser, has been shown to promote bone re-growth between the jaw and the roots of the teeth, helping to tighten teeth into place and allowing the body to begin to heal itself.
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