Everyone’s mouth is home to a host of bacterial residents, and as soon as your teeth and gums begin to accumulate sugar, food particles, and other edible substances on them, pathogens waste no time in colonizing these areas of your mouth.
While smoking tobacco products, hereditary predisposition, and following an unhealthy diet can all contribute to gum disease, in the final analysis, it is caused by harmful bacteria that create plaque and tartar deposits on your teeth and gums. Regular dental hygiene and regular dental and periodontal checkups are key to preventing gum disease and catching it early if it does develop.
Left untreated, periodontal infections can destroy your gums – a very important part of your mouth! Receding gum lines, gums that easily bleed, pain, chronic bad breath, cavities and tooth loss, and more often accompany gingivitis and more advanced stages of gum disease.
Why Use Laser Periodontal Treatment Over Other Treatment Options?
The LANAP laser is specially designed for periodontal usage. This hand-held laser tool pulsates at different wavelengths and is “smart” enough to painlessly burn away infected gum tissue while leaving adjacent healthy tissue intact.
It also cauterizes as it goes so that there is little to no bleeding or swelling with laser periodontal treatment – in contrast to methods that use a scalpel. These lasers can penetrate to deep periodontal pockets that harbor harmful bacteria and clean them out more effectively than other methods. Re-infection rates are lower with laser gum surgery.
Laser periodontal treatment is virtually painless, and most patients don’t even need an anesthetic or oral dental sedation. Recovery time is also quicker – within 24 hours most people are back to work and their daily routines, while total healing may take weeks instead of months.
What Else Can LANAP Lasers Be Used For?
In addition to treating gum disease in a much more efficient and low-pain manner, LANAP lasers also can be used to treat dental decay.
These lasers help remove encrusted tartar from tooth surfaces, clean bacteria out of cavities, and prepare teeth for crowns, fillings, and root canal surgeries. Thus, lasers are now playing an important role in treating both dental and periodontal problems.
They are becoming more and more effective with each passing year as technology advances, and laser treatment is now common enough to be considered routine – so long as you rely on a periodontist who has been trained to use the latest equipment and techniques.
To learn more about how laser periodontal treatment can reverse the effects of gum disease and help prevent a recurrence, contact Ormond Beach Periodontics & Implant Dentistry in Central Florida today for a free initial consultation and to schedule an in-person periodontal assessment.