Laser Gum Treatment

Laser Gum Surgery a Modern Approach to treating Gum Disease

If you are experiencing any of these: bleeding gums, gum disease, bad breathe, shifting teeth or bad taste and you have been told by your dentist that you need gum surgery, there is no need to get unduly worried about the surgery. At Mesa Family Dental gum surgery is hassle-free because laser gum surgery is used in treating gum disease.

The symptoms of gum disease are never noticeable until the disease has reached the advanced stages. A Mesa Family Dental professional can perform a full periodontal exam or x-rays to diagnose the disease.

In laser gum surgery procedure the dentist does not use a scalpel neither are sutures done or the gum tissue separated from the bone as in the case of standard periodontal treatment. The environment created by this procedure is one that minimizes the growth of bacteria.

Types of approaches

The effects of gum disease can be stopped or reversed if the bacteria, calculus and plaque are removed from beneath your gums. There are several ways to remove bad bacteria that cause of periodontal disease.

• Scaling and root planning- this is the traditional approach which involves deep cleaning of a closed gum.

• Osseous surgery- an opened gum cleaning, where a large amount of calculus and plaque are removed from the gum.

• LANAP- This is the most modern approach for treating gum disease; a procedure that uses a special laser.

• Medications and antibiotics are also used but they are not as effective.

Treatment Procedure

• A perio probe is used to show extreme pocket depth.

• The laser light destroys the diseased tissue and bacteria.

• Special hand instruments and an ultrasonic scaler are used to eliminate surface tartar.

• The laser is used to clean and sterilized the pocket completely and this helps to seal the pocket and keep it closed to prevent new germs from entering.

• The connective tissue is reattached to the cleaned root surface by using a firm blob of fibrin and gingival ridge to form a closed system.

• Adjustment of bite trauma is done

• New attachment is redeveloped and there’s formation of new ligament and bone thereby promoting healing.

Periodontal disease is a protracted illness. The bacteria which cause the disease are ever present in your mouth and will attach themselves to teeth and gums as time progresses.While antibiotics can help, they only provide temporary solution. Calculus is a product of your saliva and so will always reappear.

You cannot remove calculus from your teeth and gums by brushing and flossing only. You will need regular dental check-ups and cleaning at Mesa Family Dental to prevent bacteria from reattaching themselves to your teeth and gums.

Indications for Laser gum treatment

How can you know that you need laser gum treatment? Are there any benefits when compared with other approaches? Laser gum surgery, laser periodontal therapy and LANAP can be used by the majority of patients. Here are some indications and specific benefits for this method in periodontal treatment.

• Smile lines that are high and gummy with short front teeth

• Teeth and gums that are very sensitive

• Teeth that are loosed, moving, drifting and shifting

• Gums that bleed and are swollen

• Infections surrounding dental implants and bone loss.

• Patients who have developed a fear for traditional periodontal surgery

• Patients who have recurring periodontal disease and infections.

• Patients who want to have a slightly invasive approach to periodontal treatment.

• Persons who are using blood thinners like Asparin, Plavix or Coumadin.

• Patients who desire to have a biological as well as holistic approach to treating gum disease.

• Patients who have a medical condition which would require them not to undergo the traditional type of periodontal surgery.

What are the benefits of laser gum treatment?

• Unbelievable results without cutting or suturing

• Discomfort is minimal when compared with traditional gum surgery during and after the process.

• Recovery period is shorter than that of traditional surgery.