What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is gum disease. It is a silent, painless, chronic, and communicable bacterial infection that can go undetected until severe gum and bone destruction occur.
It is caused by bacterial plaque, which creates toxins that damage the gums. In the initial stages of the disease, gums can become red, swollen, and bleed easily. However, some patients have no symptoms at all. If the condition worsens, gums and bone that support the teeth can become seriously damaged. The teeth can become loose, fall out, or have to be removed.
What is LANAP?
Laser periodontal therapy is different from traditional gum surgery that involves removing gum tissue with a scalpel and placing stitches. Instead, diseased tissue is removed with a special laser using an FDA cleared and patented procedure called LANAP, which stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure.
Dr. James Fleming is fully trained and licensed to perform Laser Periodontal Therapy using the LANAP procedure. The specific wavelength of the laser allows it to remove diseased tissue and leave the healthy gum tissue. The LANAP protocol is the only laser patented protocol to treat periodontal disease. LANAP is a regenerative procedure, which means that the patient does not lose tissue volume or attachment, and bone is regenerated. Furthermore, there is very little post-op sensitivity to LANAP compared to traditional periodontal surgery utilizing a scalpel.
LANAP itself consists of four simple steps that are much less traumatic to the teeth and gum line than traditional dental surgery, which helps the mouth heal much more quickly.
How does this benefit you?
There are many benefits of LANAP treatment compared to traditional methods. These include:
- Faster recovery time
- The height of the gums around the teeth is preserved as opposed to traditional surgery
- Less bleeding
- Feels almost no discomfort during or after the procedure
- Minor pain that can be managed by over-the-counter medication