Laser Gum Surgery: The Excellent Way to Treat Periodontal Disease

Gum disease, periodontitis, or periodontal disease is among the leading preventable dental issues that cause pain and discomfort. If you don’t seek gum disease treatment in Bronxville, NY, there is a high chance that you risk bone loss and, eventually, tooth loss. In fact, it is ranked as one of the leading causes of tooth loss.

Besides losing your tooth, periodontal disease has been linked with a host of other health issues, including heart disease and diabetes. The disease is prevalent among adults aged 30 and above. Many who suffer from this disease don’t seek treatment from our dentist in Bronxville promptly, and it manifests into a severe problem.

Thanks to laser gum surgery, you can receive top-notch periodontal treatment near you. Let’s delve a bit deeper into laser gum surgery.

Fast Facts About Laser Gum Surgery

Laser gum surgery or LANAP® has come as a breath of fresh air for most patients and dentists since the procedure is effective and minimally invasive. It has gained popularity within the dental field since patients can get a less painful alternative while guaranteeing a far-better recovery after the procedure.

The procedure is precise and deals with the diseased tissue by using a laser to remove the bacteria and damaged tissue from the deep pockets. When the surgery is done, it promotes periodontal regeneration, reattachment and stimulates the growth of new bone.

The bacteria has to be removed from the deep pockets to ensure that the disease is stopped, and in some cases, reversed. Our dentist in Bronxville will mostly use different techniques, including root planing, scaling, and gum surgery, to treat periodontal disease.

Laser Gum Surgery for Gum Contouring

Typically, LANAP is used to treat gum disease. However, our dentist can also use the procedure to remove excess gum tissue for people who have a “gummy smile.” This is when there is an overgrowth of gum tissue that tends to make their teeth look smaller.

Inasmuch as the procedure is done for cosmetic purposes, there is also the risk of developing gum disease. This is because bacteria might have more room to hide.

What’s the Difference Between Laser Gum Surgery and Traditional Surgery?

Traditional gum surgery is more invasive, and the process goes as follows:

• Anesthesia will be administered
• An incision on the gums is made
• Bacteria are removed, and the area cleaned
• The area is sewn up

After the surgery, most patients complain of greater pain and discomfort during the healing process.

With laser gum surgery, our dentist doesn’t need to cut open your gums and sew them up after the procedure. The laser is precise and will target only the damaged tissue, thus saving the healthy tissue, which is not the case with traditional gum surgery.

What Does Laser Gum Surgery Entail?

During the Procedure

LANAP is a full-mouth procedure that is carried out approximately within two hours. The procedure is less painful, and there are no stitches needed after the procedure. Therefore, you can expect the healing time to be much shorter.

Our dentist will do the following:

• Measure the pockets. Our dentist will measure the depth of your gum pockets to ascertain the degree of gum detachment from the tooth
• Laser placement. Then, our dentist will place the laser’s fiber-optic tip at the tip of the gum pocket
• Bacterial removal. The laser will remove and kill the bacteria in the pocket and destroy the infected tissue.
• Tartar removal. Our dentist will proceed to remove the calculus and plaque that has formed under the gum line
• Clotting. After the laser has removed the bacteria and the infected tissue, blood clotting will help seal the now cleaned gum pocket, preventing new bacteria from getting in the gum pocket.

After the Surgery

Since there are no incisions or stitches involved in the surgery, your recovery time will be much easier than traditional gum surgery. In fact, healing begins almost immediately, and you might be able to get back to your normal routine the next day. But, always remember that people are different, so there will be people who will need more days to swing back into action.

You can anticipate the following as you recover:

• Some bleeding
• Slight swelling
• Gum discoloration

Plus, you should avoid brushing and flossing for roughly 7-10 days to ensure that the gums heal as they should. Also, when you resume brushing and flossing, do it carefully.

You might also need to:

• Stick to soft foods
• Rinse your mouth gently and don’t spit; instead, let the waterfall out of your mouth
• Don’t smoke

Healing will take close to 10 days for most people.

If you need gum disease treatment in Bronxville, NY, contact our dentist at Bronxville Dentistry to schedule an appointment.