Have you been informed that you have gum disease? Do you have problems with implants or peri-implantitis? Do you have large gaps between your gums and teeth? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you may need periodontal therapy.

What Constitutes Gum Disease?

Plaque and calculus accumulation along the gumline can result in gum disease, a bacterial infection. Bacteria make up both calculus and plaque. This bacteria will steadily eat away at and harm your gums, teeth, and bones if you don’t practice good dental hygiene.

Despite the very high prevalence of gum disease, if left untreated, it can lead to periodontitis. When you have periodontitis, your gums pull away from your teeth, creating areas (called pockets) that develop an infection and can seriously impact your well-being.

Periodontal Therapy

The objective of periodontal treatment, which can take many forms, is to cure damaged tissues. Since gum (periodontal) illness can spread from gums to bones, it may even cause tooth loss in the most severe cases.

Several highly successful treatments exist for this, ranging from scalings (deep cleanings) to surgical replacement of damaged gum and bone tissue. Scalings remove calculus (tartar) and plaque from below the gum line.

One of the most modern periodontal treatment options is LANAP laser gum surgery, which is what we’ll focus on in this article.

LANAP Laser Surgery Explained

LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. The name’s “new attachment” element alludes to how this laser therapy promotes the bonding of healthy gum tissues to bones in your mouth and jaw.

This is crucial in treating gum disease because as the condition progresses, it infects areas of the gums, damaging healthy attachments and loosening teeth. Traditionally, reversing this issue takes a lot of time and frequently relies on natural gum healing.

When you use LANAP to help cure gum disease, the laser encourages healthy gum tissue to form new attachments and speed up your gums’ general healing process. 

What Makes LANAP Different?

During more traditional surgical methods of treating advanced periodontal disease, dentists use scalpels to cut away unhealthy gum tissue to access infected pockets in your bone or gums. 

These infected pockets are then surgically removed, and sutures are used to restructure the gums surrounding the teeth so that no pockets remain. Although this is typically a successful surgery, it’s far more intrusive than LANAP surgery, and there’s a lengthy recovery period, including significant pain. 

On the other hand, LANAP laser surgery uses a very particular light frequency to remove unhealthy gum tissue. The laser also eliminates germs in the mouth, which accelerates healing and promotes the formation of new tissue. There is less stress, no cutting or suturing of the gums, and a better road to recovery.

How Effective is LANAP Surgery?

Studies on LANAP techniques demonstrate better outcomes than traditional surgery, such as fewer tooth loss following laser surgery. Additionally, it has been shown to promote gum regeneration in individuals with periodontitis and enhance the number of post-treatment new tissue attachments between gum and bone.

The long-term effectiveness of LANAP in treating gum disease is also encouraging news. Compared to patients with standard treatments such as osseous surgery, LANAP surgery patients demonstrate reduced periodontal disease recurrence over time. 

This is due to several factors, including the removal of gum disease-causing bacteria by the laser and enhanced tissue regeneration, which better safeguards the bone and roots of teeth against disease in the future.

Since the recovery is much quicker and less painful, LANAP patients also tend to find sticking to the home dental care routines they need to maintain to avoid future gum disease more manageable.

Benefits of LANAP Laser Gum Surgery

We want to spend additional time highlighting the advantages of this laser therapy because LANAP is a reasonably new and innovative procedure:

• It encourages the renewal of healthy tissue in the gums.
• Patients experience minor sensitivity, bleeding, or discomfort.
• The surgery causes decreased edema and inflammation.
• There’s less recovery time needed following therapy.
• There’s a reduced chance of infection.
• Patients experience accelerated and more pleasant recovery.
• There’s a decreased dependence on painkillers during and after treatment.

Preventing Gum Disease

If you already have gum disease in its early stages, several preventative measures may be able to stop the illness’s progression. If not, we want to support you in maintaining the health of your mouth. Here is what we advise:

• Good dental hygiene practices at home – Discuss the ideal toothbrush, floss, mouthwash, and toothpaste with your dentist.
• Routine cleanings – Be sure to visit your dentist for a routine cleaning at least every six months.
• Deep cleanings – One of the most popular early to severe periodontal disease treatments is scaling and root planing (SRP). This non-surgical technique, often called a “deep cleaning,” extends below the gum line to eliminate plaque accumulation and encourage healing.

Your Contribution to Gum Health

Periodontal disease is mainly brought on by dental plaque. Therefore, it’s critical to eliminate it daily with proper brushing and flossing. Of course, a toothbrush and floss can’t reach every part of the mouth. Therefore, it’s crucial to visit the dentist frequently for expert cleanings. 

Early indications of gum disease might be found during your routine dental examination before you even notice them. Consuming a balanced diet, cutting back on sweets, and abstaining from all types of tobacco will also improve your periodontal health and your chances of retaining your natural teeth for life.