Beverly Hills Periodontal Institute

Laser Gum Treatment

BENEFITS, SIDE EFFECTS AND RECOVERY TIME

Sometimes, patients may need periodontal surgery to heal specific gum diseases and conditions. Two of the more common disorders are gingivitis and periodontitis. The common name for this sort of operation is gum surgery.

Laser gum treatment aims to treats the condition and any injury it might have caused by:

  • regenerating impaired tissues and bones
  • preventing the loss of teeth
  • decreasing the gaps between your teeth, commonly called black triangles
  • changing the shape of the jawbone to reduce the risk of bacteria growing in crevices of bone
  • eradicating bacteria and infection

Laser gum treatment is a modern dental care technique, which has changed the nature of oral care. Gum treatment is often a lengthy and painful procedure. Laser dentistry enables quick and pain-free treatment of gum disease.

Periodontal, or gum disease, is an oral condition. It harms gums and the surrounding tissue which holds the teeth together. Periodontitis usually happens due to lack of gum care. Gums will develop deep pockets around the tissues and bone structure areas. This can further result in tooth loss.

According to statistics, in the world today, up to 80% of people suffer from gum disease. Causes of gum disease include poor brushing technique, inadequate oral care, and bad diet. Smoking, stress, and chronic illnesses also contribute to gum disease.

WHICH DISEASES CAN BE TREATED BY GUM SURGERY?


You can get periodontal surgery to treat any one of several conditions.

As mentioned earlier, you may need surgical treatment for gingivitis and periodontitis.

Gingivitis is mild gum disease. It can cause swelling, redness, and bleeding gums, and usually occurs because of bad oral hygiene, and buildup of plaque and tartar. Laser treatment can relieve gingivitis.

Periodontitis is severe gum disease. It is an advanced form of gingivitis. It often causes inflammation, which destroys bone and tissues.

As the inflammation progresses, the gums start to recede from the teeth. This action causes gaps known as pockets to form. These pockets catch bacteria and cause infection.

The patient can lose teeth and experience bone damage as a result.

LASER GUM SURGERY VS. TRADITIONAL SURGERY

Do you need periodontal surgery? You’ll need to make a choice between conventional and laser treatment. You’ll need to do some research to decide what’s the best choice for you. You have two options: traditional and Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP®).

In conventional surgery, the dental practitioner works with a scalpel. He or she peels back the tissues of the gum to see better and to work within the gum pocket.  The dental surgeon then cuts away and sews up your gums to reduce pocket depth. This method is what creates a change in the aesthetics of the gum line. After cutting down the pockets, the doctor may reattach your gum to your tooth’s root. To accomplish this, he or she will use bone or tissue grafting.

Some cases of periodontitis are problematic and require traditional surgery. But, LANAP® is a viable option for the majority of patients. It does not call for sutures or a scalpel. It is almost non-invasive with only minor discomfort. The dentist does not have to cut the gums to reduce the depth of the pocket, so your gum line remains intact. There is also no aesthetic change to your smile.  A laser can differentiate between normal and diseased tissue. It leaves healthy tissue unaffected, making the procedure precise and safe.  It eliminates unhealthy tissue and destroys living bacteria. But it does not compromise healthy tissue.

BENEFITS OF LASER GUM TREATMENT

Laser gum treatment has fewer complications than the traditional methods. The essential benefits of laser gum treatment are as follows:

  1. Improved Healing Times.

Laser gum treatment yields fewer traumas. After surgery, there is little or no soreness, swelling, and sensitivity. Due to this, you will find that unlike other treatments, the laser dentistry is not painful. LANAP® does not need surgical cutting and sutures. It is precise in the parts of the gum that it cuts away, allowing the patient to heal faster.  The laser kills the bacteria and decreases inflammation, preserving and supporting healthier tissue.

  1. Promotes Bone Regeneration.

The main aim of laser gum disease treatment is to remove the infection. In more than 85 percent of cases, laser therapy has helped bone to regenerate. This regrowth takes place in various infected areas. It’s most common where the gum disease has created deep gum pockets.

  1. Increased Speed Of Post-treatment.

Laser gum treatment improves healing time. You’ll regain full function of your mouth and teeth very fast.  In fact, the function returns with laser surgery faster than with other treatment options.

  1. Firmer Teeth.

Laser gum surgery eradicates deep pockets and promotes bone regeneration. This results in firmer teeth and improved functionality. To do conventional periodontal surgery, you need to cut your gum line down by about 2-4 mm to reduce pocket depth. In acute cases of periodontitis, the gum line can recede as far as 10-15 mm.  Once cut away, the gum line shows the roots of your teeth, and they can be especially susceptible to extremes of temperature, inducing more pain when you eat or drink.  LANAP® is not as invasive as conventional surgery, but it is more precise.  The laser gets rid of only diseased tissue without affecting healthy bone and gum. The result is that the gum line does not retreat significantly, which protects the natural look of your smile.

  1. Less Painful.

Traditional surgery can be excruciating as it requires cutting and suturing of the gums.  Post-operative pain medication is usually prescribed, and you’ll also need some recovery time.  Many patients choose to have the dentist extract their damaged teeth. In this way, they avoid the discomfort of dental surgery.  LANAP® causes less discomfort and rarely requires post-operative pain medication.  There is also the minimal time needed: Patients can return to their daily routine almost immediately.

  1. Better Results in the Long Term

LANAP® is much more reliable for regenerating bone and reattaching tissue.  The laser stimulates the surface of the root, promoting regrowth and attachment. You can save teeth otherwise deemed lost, restoring full function. Patients show more improvement after LANAP® treatment. Why? Because your gum tissue continues to regenerate and reattach itself after completion of the procedure.

Science is growing, and dental technology is improving. We stay up-to-date with the latest improvements, always offering our patients premier treatment options.

Laser surgery is an excellent choice for many patients, but it is not suitable for everyone.  Call us now to set up a consultation. Together we’ll decide if LANAP® is the right solution for you.

LASER GUM TREATMENT SIDE EFFECTS

Laser gum treatment has many benefits. But this method can be hazardous due to the risk of infection transmission. It can also harm tooth surface and dental pulp. Subcutaneous and submucosal tissues are also affected. Due to these, dentists should be cautious of laser gum treatment side effects. They must pay attention when treating patients to reduce the possibility of risks.

Below are the significant laser gum treatment side effects:

  1. User Error

How does laser treatment work? Laser power converts into low heat when it gets absorbed by tissue components. These components include RNA/DNA, water, protein, chromophores, and enzymes. The level of heating is essential. Incorrect settings can cause further damage to the periodontal tissue.

  1. Laser Gum Treatment Side Effects On Tooth Surface

Laser irradiation may also damage the tooth surface. There have been reports of a decrease in tooth bond strength following bleaching. The usual agents employed are diode laser and carbamide peroxide. Not all laser gum treatments result in visible surface cracks. But they sometimes cause a 30% decrease in the dentin bending strength.

  1. Histopathological changes

As mentioned earlier, dental laser treatment causes tissue damage. For example, practitioners have noticed cell death around the periodontal ligament. This happened one day after laser surgery. Meanwhile, teeth under conventional preparation showed no sign of cell necrosis. Fast forward to fourteen days after treatment. Practitioners observed more osteoclasts (cells that break down bone tissue). Also, more osteocytes were present in the periradicular bone. Like osteoclasts, osteocytes break down bone tissue.

  1. Delayed Healing Issues

Practitioners have discovered delayed gingival healing after laser surgery.

They have also seen other side effects, such as itching and burning. Tissue hyperpigmentation tends to occur in dark-skinned people. You also have to be cautious about infection, scarring, and tissue hypopigmentation.

LASER GUM SURGERY RECOVERY

Antiseptic mouthwash helps in preventing infection after treatment. The recovery period will depend on when the surgery took place.

Laser gum surgery recovery times are the same as those of traditional methods. Recovery can take a period of two to four weeks. Around this time, the patient may go through significant swelling and pain. During this period, we tell the patient to eat only soft food. They should avoid the intake of hard foods. We also prescribe drugs to enable faster recovery.

Most people depend on pain relief medications after having gum surgery. Again, the dental practitioner will discuss with the patient and recommend drugs. Dental practitioners may also recommend:

  • The use of antiseptic mouthwash to help avoid infection and keep the treated area clean.
  • To avoid strenuous exercise
  • To eat only soft foods after the surgery.
  • To quit smoking

After a week or two, the treated patient will need to revisit the office. During this visit, the dentist will inspect the gum recovery speed and, if need be, take out any stitches.

Your gum will look and feel different after laser gum surgery. It will heal, strengthen, tighten, and become firmer. Your teeth may be sensitive when you consume cold or hot drinks. They may feel better if you use only desensitizing toothpaste.

DOES LASER GUM SURGERY HURT?

Whether your laser gum surgery hurts depends on the type of treatment and procedure that you take. Most gum surgeries take about two or more hours to complete. In a few cases, the patient has to be asleep or utterly relaxed during the treatment. In other cases, the surgery only requires the use of a local anesthetic to make the gums numb. Thus, the type of procedure used determines whether laser gum surgery will hurt.

Laser gum treatment has taken over the dentistry field. The use of lasers to treat gums is becoming more and more critical to our everyday lives, and it has helped a lot of people. Health care establishments can carry out treatment and surgery fast and with ease. Laser gum treatment has made it easier for both patients and dentists.

WHY WE ARE THE BEST DENTISTS

We guarantee 100% satisfaction. We are the best dentists based in Beverly Hills. Why? Because of our skill and well-equipped dental clinic. We provide the best in laser gum treatment and all other laser gum surgery procedures. Our dental practitioners will teach you how to maintain good oral health after surgery.

We carry out all our laser gum surgeries /treatments here in Beverly Hills. We offer a wide range of laser gum treatment options that are not only aimed at eliminating gum disease. They also support bone regeneration and growth.

Are you planning on doing laser gum treatment? Seeking the services of top dentists is very important. Most dentists end up making errors and mistakes along the way. That’s why you should trust only our trained and experienced dentists.

Our dentists are not only trained, but they also have the right tools and instruments to get the job done right. Don’t settle for less, always go after the best of the best. Why wait? Make an appointment with our dentists today and get a risk-free laser gum consultation.

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Very rarely have I experience such care and compassion from a doctor/periodontist. I appreciate that Doctor Madison took his time with me, given that I was a nervous patient. He made sure that I was completely comfortable before he started my procedure. Because of Doctor Madison I have confidence in continuing and maintaining my dental work, something that I have been putting off for years. I am so happy with the major improvement on my teeth and I am so grateful to Doctor Madison. I highly recommend him.
Mahtab Hakim
a year ago
I am writing this review for Dr. Madison as I feel obliged to, given the outstanding care he has provided my family. My son, daughter and my father have all seen Dr. Madison over the past year and the more times our family has seen Dr. Madison, the more impressed I am with him. We are very grateful for the exceptional care, the great bedside manner and the attention to detail that Dr. Madison provides. For my father, he was able to catch a serious infection in his tooth that his long-time dentist missed.
Romy Nourafchan
Dr. Madison is the BEST in the business. His staff is excellent and responsive, and Dr. Madison is extremely knowledgeable, reasonable, gentle, and thorough. The last two dentists I've seen have said that Dr. Madison is their no. 1 choice for a periodontist in Los Angeles.
Vassi Iliadis
Dr. Madison is the best dentist I have ever had. I have had to have an implant. He and his staff made me feel comfortable and relayed my fears. The office manager and the rest of the staff treat me politely and explain the whole procedure. I could not recommend them more to anyone who wants excellence in their dental care. Keep up the great work!
Charles Feldman

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