LANAP Laser Periodontal & Gingivitis Treatment

How can LANAP dentistry save your smile?

Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. Even if you struggle with advanced gum disease, your smile is worth saving.

Gum disease can fly under the radar for years before you realize there is a problem. In its early stages, gingivitis may seem like little more than a nuisance. Left untreated, inflammation from gum disease can damage the structures that hold your teeth firmly in place, including your gums, ligaments that surround the tooth roots, and even the bone socket itself.

LANAP laser gum disease treatment is a safe, minimally-invasive, and effective way to reverse inflammation and even stimulate the regrowth of healthy bone and gum tissue. At Monterey Peninsula Dental Group, we’re proud to provide LANAP in Monterey, CA so you can enjoy renewed oral health for years to come.

What is LANAP?

LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. It uses specialized laser technology that can arrest and even reverse advanced periodontal disease. It’s a great alternative to traditional osseous surgery, which is a much more invasive procedure that typically comes with a longer recovery time. Patients typically recover from LANAP within 24 hours because the gum tissue is never cut or sewn and only diseased tissue is eliminated.

LANAP is a form of laser gum surgery that uses a specialized laser to promote healthy gum tissue growth and periodontal health. It does not involve the use of scalpels, stitches or sutures, like other forms of periodontal surgery.

Instead, LANAP helps gum and bone tissue regain its natural ability to heal itself by killing bacteria and diseased tissue, but leaving healthy tissue unharmed. By stimulating healthy gum tissue, new connective tissue attachments between healthy gum and bone are formed.

LANAP dentistry vs. osseous surgery

Osseous surgery, also called pocket depth reduction, focuses on cutting away diseased gum tissue around the teeth in order to reach the “pockets” of bacteria, plaque and tartar that form under the gum line and cause periodontitis and gum disease. While traditional osseous surgery works and has a good track record, LANAP offers patients a less invasive, less painful and faster procedure.

Monterey Peninsula Dental Group’s dentists find that using LANAP to treat severe periodontal cases instead of conventional osseous surgery offers many benefits, like:

• Faster recovery
• Less bleeding during the procedure
• Less pain and swelling after the procedure
• Fewer follow-up procedures 
• No need for gum grafting to recover correct tissue height
• No scalpels or stitches
• Highly predictable success rates

Because the process is minimally invasive and much less painful that traditional gum disease surgery, most patients also report less anxiety or fear about their treatment. Fear of pain, bleeding and surgery can be a major roadblock that keeps too many gum disease sufferers from getting adequate treatment. 

LANAP offers a comfortable and effective alternative to gum disease surgery. In fact, after LANAP treatment, less downtime, pain, and infection is reported than in traditional osseous surgery, making it more comfortable both during and after the procedure.

What is the LANAP gum disease treatment process?

The process of reversing gum disease with LANAP laser therapy starts with a thorough examination. We’ll collect detailed digital diagnostics and review your dental and medical history to determine whether LANAP is the best approach for your unique needs. 

During LANAP gum treatment, we’ll use a specialized periodontal laser to remove periodontal pockets in the gums. The laser is pulsed over the gums to remove diseased tissue and eradicate bacteria in a pain-free and non-invasive way, which requires no cutting or stitching. Since diseased gum tissue is darker than healthy tissue and absorbs more of the laser light, the diseased tissue is removed without harming healthy tissue around it.

After applying the laser, we’ll remove any hardened deposits with an ultrasonic scaler to ensure the root surface is completely clean. We’ll also adjust the shape of the bone to encourage healthy regeneration of the socket. 

When the pocket is cleaned and prepared, we’ll apply the laser again on a setting that stimulates healthy cells and activates your natural healing process. This will also help the gums seal over the site, which will keep it clean and ensure ideal healing.

What is the LANAP recovery process like?

After the treatment, healthy gum tissue can regrow and attach to bone that was previously covered by diseased tissue, bacteria and tartar. The healthy gum tissue forms new connective tissue attachments to the bone, which help to protect the bones of your jaw from degeneration caused by periodontal disease.

LANAP is a more attractive treatment for periodontal disease than traditional osseous surgery or periodontal surgery because the treatment is less invasive and doesn’t involve cutting the gums. Most patients recover from LANAP in 24 hours, though some soreness is common as the new gum tissue grows and attaches to the bone. In most cases, you won’t need to take time off work to recover from their treatment, which is a major benefit compared to traditional surgery.

Will gum disease come back after LANAP laser gingivitis treatment?

Patients undergoing treatment with LANAP generally don’t experience repeat periodontal disease as often as patients treated with traditional periodontal surgery. The additional healthy connective tissue growth spurred by LANAP helps prevent the growth of diseased tissue. 

This new tissue also protects bone and roots that can be exposed during conventional surgery, which means less chance that the bacteria responsible for gum disease find their way back in.

Patients who are treated with LANAP also succeed better with dental care regimens thanks to the regenerated tissue growth, helping the gums stay healthy with routine cleanings and home care.

What Are the Goals of LANAP Treatment?

Reducing Bacterial Spread: The bacteria in your mouth can spread throughout your entire body, which can cause life-threatening conditions, including heart disease and respiratory disease. Removing severe, deep tartar, and with it all of those bacteria, can help reduce the risk and improve your overall health.

Preventing Bone Loss: Your immune system’s inflammatory response can be prompted by periodontal bacteria. This can cause bone loss in your jaw region and lead to the loss of teeth. Osseous surgery can stop periodontal disease from progressing to a more severe stage.

Enhancing Your Smile: Periodontal disease can lead to brown gums, rotting teeth and ridge indentations, which leaves many patients feeling self-conscious about their smiles. Fortunately, LANAP treatment can help reduce those bacteria and treat periodontal diseases, so your smile can be restored to its natural radiance.

Making Home Care Easier: As the disease advances and your gum pockets deepen, it can become nearly impossible to brush and floss properly. The procedure can reduce the size of those pockets, making it easier for you to properly take care of your oral hygiene and preventing the periodontal disease from advancing.

Is LANAP Covered By Insurance

Most insurance policies that provide coverage for conventional gum disease surgery (also called osseous surgery) will reimburse for LANAP dentistry. Our office can help you understand your financial responsibilities for your treatment with LANAP.

What technology & certifications does MPDG have for LANAP?

Monterey Peninsula Dental Group is proud to be a LANAP certified clinician. We use the best dental lasers to ensure your treatment is comfortable and effective.