Periodontal Disease

Unhealthy gums are a red flag, warning of future tooth loss and the potential for stroke and heart disease. A periodontal assessment is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family.

If you have swollen, bleeding gums, you may have periodontal disease. And the sooner we eliminate this menace in your mouth, the better. Left untreated, periodontal disease can cause serious loss of teeth and bone, and it has recently been linked to heart disease and stroke as well as premature and low weight babies.

Fortunately, we can stop this infection quickly and easily with non-surgical treatments and laser therapies. These therapies gently remove infected gum tissue and lasers can actually vaporize the bacteria causing the infection. The process is very high tech and very effective.

Treating periodontal disease is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. We take it seriously, and so should you.

Watch a video featuring Whoopie Goldberg as she talks about her problems with periodontal disease

What exactly is Laser Periodontal (gum) Therapy?

This Periodontal Surgery is called LANAP or Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, and replaces the traditional gum scraping of scaling/root planning and the old bone surgery with its scalpels, sutures, and pain.

The Laser removes only the diseased tissue and leaves healthy tissue alone. The technique involves two passes with the laser, with ultrasonic cleaning of the pockets completed between the laser passes.

How much pain will I have?

There will be NO pain during the surgery. You will be completely numb and we can also use oral sedation to help you relax if you so choose. Post treatment pain is so different than traditional surgery because the laser promotes the body’s healing process. You can expect some mild discomfort which is easily handled with analgesics. Patients who have had the LANAP laser gum surgery experience very little discomfort following the procedure and most often only have to take Ibuprofen (Advil. Motrin) to feel comfortable.

What exactly happens to my diseased pockets?

You can expect to have NEW gum attachment and bone formation in most of your pockets. This Laser LANAP Therapv is the only FDA cleared laser procedure that will actually give this result. Most Dentists treating gum disease with only “soft tissue management”, and Scaling/Root Planning will only see REPAIRED attachment, which is far inferior to new gum and bone formation of the Laser procedure.

Is the Laser Periodontal Therapy a Cure for my Disease?

No. There is no cure for moderate/advanced periodontitis. The good news is that we can now treat it very effectively with the Perio Laser LANAP therapy. Just like so many other diseases such as Diabetes, even though there is no cure, it can be successfully treated to allow you to live with the disease under control.