When to Consider Laser Treatment for Your Gums

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that there’s a disease affecting nearly half of the American population over the age of 30 — and that by age 65, more than 70% of people have it. So what is this widespread condition?

It’s gum disease.

You might be breathing a sigh of relief. But gum disease can actually get fairly serious, leading to major issues like tooth loss and damage to your jawbone. 

Here at LA Dentists Group in Glendale, California, our team can check you for this serious oral health condition. And if we find it, we can address it with laser gum treatment. 

When gum disease needs involved treatment

If we catch it early, gum disease is usually reversible with regular professional teeth cleanings and good at-home oral habits. 

But if it’s progressed too far, you might need more involved treatment. Some signs that your gum disease has moved from gingivitis to more serious periodontitis include:

• A bad taste in your mouth
• Gum recession
• Loose teeth
• Pain when you chew
• Persistent bad breath
• Regular gum bleeding, redness, or inflammation

All of these indicate that your gums have been seriously impacted by disease and need targeted care. 

The laser difference

As gum disease progresses, it causes your gums to recede and detach from your teeth. To reverse this, dentists have long used a treatment called scaling and root planing. This means using specialized tools to reach into the pockets that have formed along your gum line and scrape out the plaque. 

As you can expect, this process isn’t overly comfortable. It also often requires several visits to the dentist’s office. 

Laser gum treatment allows us to achieve the same goal — removing plaque below the gumline to allow your gum to heal and reattach to the tooth — with more precision. Here at our office, we offer the laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP®). With this FDA-approved treatment, we can use the laser’s energy to eliminate harmful bacteria and infected tissue while protecting healthy gum tissue. 

What to expect with laser gum treatment

While scaling and root planing often requires 4–8 treatments, with LANAP, we can usually give your gums the care they need in just two treatments. We also schedule two follow-up visits to make sure your gum is healing and reattaching the way it should. 

You might have mild side effects (e.g., bleeding, soreness) for a couple of days after treatment, but it shouldn’t be enough to stop you from doing your usual daily activities. We usually recommend a soft but nutritious diet for the week after your treatment. 

To find out if laser gum treatment could be right for you, call our office or book your appointment online today.