Laser Gum Surgery
Laser Gum Treatment in McAllen, TX
If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, your dentist may recommend laser gum treatment. Laser gum treatment can be a safe, effective alternative to periodontal surgery. Laser gum surgery can eliminate infection underneath the gum line and in hard-to-reach places you can’t treat on your own. At XPress Dental, we use the LANAP® procedure for laser gum treatment in McAllen, TX. This procedure is minimally invasive and doesn’t require any cutting or sutures. Gum disease can impact your heart health, and we recommend exploring your treatment options with our team.
What Is Laser Gum Surgery?
Laser gum surgery is a minimally invasive treatment option for moderate to severe gum disease. After you have undergone scaling and root planing treatment for gum disease, we may recommend laser gum surgery. Laser gum therapy is a safe, effective alternative to more invasive surgeries like gum flap surgery. During laser gum surgery, we will use laser light beams to precisely cut away diseased or infected tissues, kill germs and bacteria, sterilize your gums, and form blood clots to stop bleeding.
Who Needs Laser Gum Therapy?
You may need laser gum therapy if you have moderate to severe periodontal disease. You should also consider laser gum therapy if you do not want to undergo a more invasive procedure, like gum flap surgery.
What Are the Benefits of Laser Treatment for Gum Disease?
Laser treatment for gum disease is less invasive than other surgical methods and more effective than more conservative treatment options. The biggest benefits of laser gum surgery are:
- Less invasive than gum flap surgery.
- Reduced recovery time.
- Lower risk of side effects or complications like infection.
- Safe, effective treatment for gum disease.
- No cutting or stitching is required, so bleeding is minimal.
- Laser gum surgery preserves gum tissue and bone.
- You will experience less post-surgery sensitivity because laser therapy requires less tooth root exposure.
What to Expect During the Laser Gum Procedure
Our team uses the LANAP® laser gum procedure. LANAP®, or laser-assisted new attachment procedure, is the most advanced and effective method of laser treatment for gum disease. Before your procedure, we will answer all your questions about laser gum surgery and go over every step to make sure you understand what to expect. We will recommend that you quit smoking at least two weeks before your procedure and that you avoid taking any medications that could thin your blood for at least 48 hours before the procedure. We may recommend that you undergo two separate LANAP® procedures, one for each half of your mouth. Each visit may take one to two hours. On the day of your procedure, you should have someone drive you to your appointment. In general, the LANAP® procedure will go as follows:
- Measurement of Pockets – We will first measure the depth of your periodontal pockets using a probe. This will tell us how deep the pockets are and how much loss of attachment has occurred.
- Removal of Bacteria – Next, we will use pulsed laser light to remove the diseased tissue from the pockets and kill the bacteria that cause gum disease. Because the laser light is not absorbed in water, healthy tissue, root, or bone, this surgery is much less invasive and more comfortable than other gum surgery options.
- Removal of Calculus – We will then remove calculus from the root surface of your teeth. We use tiny, ultrasonic scalers to remove the deposits of calculus that form underneath the gum line. The laser will not remove this by itself but will denature the calculus, resulting in better removal with the ultrasonic scaler.
- Blood Clot Formation – We will then use the laser a second time at the bottom of the pockets in order to stimulate the soft tissue, root, and bone. This causes the blood to become sticky and form a seal around the teeth, creating a clean, closed, and stable environment for healing to begin.
- Tissue Compression – The tissue is recompressed against the root surface of the teeth, and no sutures are required.
- Adjustment of Bite – We will adjust your bite to make sure that there is not a considerable amount of trauma on any of your teeth, especially the ones that have bone loss.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Laser Gum Treatment?
You may be a good candidate for laser gum treatment if you have moderate to severe periodontal disease, are interested in a less invasive procedure than gum flap surgery, want less pain and a shorter recovery time, and want to minimize your risk of side effects and complications. However, you may not be a good candidate if you are in poor health, have early-stage gum disease (gingivitis), or have healthy gum tissue.
Schedule Laser Treatment for Periodontal Gum Disease
If you’re interested in learning more about laser treatment for periodontal gum disease in McAllen, TX, visit us at Xpress Dental. Our doctor of dental surgery, Dr. John Tan, has decades of experience and is committed to providing the most advanced treatment options available. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a consultation and find out if you are a good candidate for laser gum surgery.