Mesa AZ dentist explains how does laser gum surgery work to resolve disease, promote healthy healing
Almost one of every two Americans aged 30 and older has gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the 1990s, the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) has been perfected as an alternative to invasive surgery for the treatment of moderate to severe gum disease. The first and only FDA-cleared laser treatment of its kind, LANAP is proven effective without the unwanted risks of traditional incisional therapy:
- No cutting
- No sutures
- Minimal sensitivity, bleeding
- No contraindications
- Little to no gum recession
- Regenerates bone
- Speedy healing
When in the hands of skilled, certified practitioner like Dr. Edward Fritz, LANAP predictably removes harmful bacteria, seals gums to the tooth roots, and encourages natural healing – restoring teeth that might otherwise have been extracted!
How does laser gum surgery work?
Like other laser therapies, LANAP precisely directs powerful energy toward treatment sites. Since lasers are so precise, only diseased tissues are treated. Healthy tissues remain untouched. Generally, all LANAP patients can expect:
- An instrument will be used to determine the depth of the space or pocket between the teeth and gums.
- A small laser fiber is passed over the infected gum tissues.
- First, the laser is passed over the tissues to kill the bacteria that cause disease.
- The laser is passed over the treatment sites a second time to promote the healing process.
In addition to effectively treating moderate to severe periodontal disease, LANAP may be a great treatment option if you haven’t had good results with conventional scaling or root planing, desire fast results, or are suffering with many of the signs of gum disease such as sensitivity and swelling, and tenderness and bleeding. The disease won’t resolve on its own, but its progression can be halted in a comfortable and healthy manner. When detected in its earlier stages, effects can be reversed.
Laser treatment adds to your health
Traditional approaches to gum surgery are considered to be “subtractive”; the bottom of a deep pocket can’t be reached for cleaning, so some bone and gum tissue is ground away during the process of treatment. This results in a “long tooth,” heightened sensitivity, and difficult-to-clean areas. LANAP is an additive procedure that promotes your body’s natural healing processes. The bone is filled in, the pocket retreats, and the infection is resolved. Contact New Health Dental for more information.
