How Laser Gum Therapy Treats Periodontal Disease?
Perhaps you recently had a dental checkup and were told to have a periodontal problem. While you do not want to be told they are suffering from gum infection, various treatment options are available depending on your case’s severity. Laser periodontal therapy, for example, is a less invasive surgery alternative gaining popularity.
You’ve probably heard that lasers have revolutionized a variety of industries. But did you know they’ve also expanded into dental care? We recommend speaking with your dentist at the laser, our gum therapy near you, about your specific treatment plan. But first, let’s go over periodontal disease and how laser therapy can help.
An Overview of Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is an infection of the soft tissues and bones that support your teeth. It’s an advanced stage of gum infection. It can be reversed with a strict oral care routine if discovered while still in the gingivitis stage. Periodontal disease, on the other hand, necessitates professional intervention. Periodontal disease risk factors include: poor oral hygiene, smoking, certain medications, chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and genetic predisposition
Periodontal disease is typically treated with scaling and root planing. This process removes tartar, plaque (biofilm), and bacteria from the tooth and its roots above and below the gumline. It also encourages gum tissue to regenerate and grow back snugly around your tooth.
Alternatively, your periodontist may decide that surgical treatment of your periodontal disease is the best option for you. This could be because your gum infection is severe. Another common surgical option, gum flap surgery, involves a surgical cut in the gum tissue. It is then pulled back to clean the roots beneath thoroughly. After that, your gum tissue is sutured back into place to heal.
Other periodontal surgery options include bone grafting, soft tissue grafting, guided tissue regeneration, and the use of tissue-stimulating proteins.
How LANAP Therapy Works
Laser therapy is not a stand-alone treatment but works in conjunction with other treatments. For example, periodontal laser therapy involves your periodontist using a laser to access and remove inflamed gum tissue around your tooth’s root. They then remove the tartar and plaque that has accumulated beneath and around your gumline. Then, with a different tool, they smooth out rough spots on the tooth above and below the gumline. Removing these rough spots reduces the likelihood that your teeth and gums will attract bacteria and develop future infections.
Your mouth will require time to heal and regenerate following laser therapy. During this healing period, your gums should be free of infection and able to tighten back up around your tooth, much like a turtleneck that fits snugly around your neck!
It should be noted that not all dentists use laser therapy. Those who decide to use this therapy on patients receive laser training. This ensures they have the correct technique and understand how to use different wavelengths.
Benefits of Laser Therapy
Some of the benefits of choosing laser therapy at Cupertino Family Dental for gum disease treatments include:
- No Cutting or Stitching
Rather than making incisions into the gum to access the periodontal pocket, a dental laser such as the PerioLase® MVP-7TM can access the pocket by simply pointing the laser wand toward the diseased pocket and removing diseased tissue and vaporizing harmful bacteria. That means you won’t have to deal with periodontal gum bandages and stitches for several weeks after finishing the treatment, as you would with traditional surgery.
- Less Bleeding
Gums typically bleed during traditional gum treatments for infection and tissue incisions. However, patients can expect less bleeding at the start of the procedure because no incisions are required. Even better, patients will notice almost no bleeding when the laser’s final pass in the pocket forms a gel clot that seals the pocket while it heals.
- More Precise
Your dentist in Cupertino, CA, can use a dental laser to adjust the power and wavelength based on your level of disease. As a result, your laser therapy is tailored to your specific needs, making the treatment less invasive.
- Quicker Recovery
Because dental lasers work so efficiently within the gum pocket that patients will recover much faster and easier than traditional surgery. In addition, because lasers cause less tissue trauma, gum pockets heal quickly and with little discomfort.