A Gentle Approach to Periodontal Care
Your gums not only support your teeth but also act as a seal, protecting your mouth from disease-causing bacteria. When your periodontal health is in jeopardy, it can impact your overall wellness in addition to your oral health.
Periodontal (gum) disease is a common oral infection that occurs when bacteria reach your gums. The problem is that the earlier (and reversible) states are often painless which can be especially dangerous for those who don’t visit the dentist regularly as it can go undetected. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to bone and tooth loss as well as put you at a higher risk of developing health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and more.
At Contemporary Dental Arts, our goal is for you to experience optimal oral wellness and we understand that the journey to impeccable dental health is a team effort so we’re here to support you. If your gum health has fallen by the wayside, you worry about the time needed for treatment, or your fear of the dentist is preventing you from seeking treatment, Dr. Pham has the perfect solution. LANAP® laser therapy is a quick, painless way to treat gum disease and protect your health.
What Is LANAP® Laser Therapy?
When you suffer from periodontal disease, pockets begin to form around the base of your teeth as the disease worsens. These pockets are filled with bacteria and need to be cleaned out to stop the further spread of infection. Dentists usually treat gum disease with a process called scaling and root planing which involves them slightly peeling back the gum tissue so they can scrape away the plaque and tartar from beneath the gum line. They ensure they’re deeply cleaned and free from bacteria before suturing the gums back.
With LANAP® laser therapy the goal is similar — to clean beneath the gum line but using this advanced laser is much more gentle, requires no sutures or needles, and is a non-invasive approach to treating gum disease. With the LANAP® laser, we target the harmful infection-causing bacteria specifically so there’s no risk to the naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth’s microbiome.
Benefits of LANAP® Laser Treatment
As technology advances, dental issues become easier to treat while making procedures more comfortable and effective for the patient. For this reason, Dr. Pham is proud to incorporate laser dentistry into your comprehensive care. At Contemporary Dental Arts, treating gum disease doesn’t have to be painful or intimidating.
Some of the unique benefits of LANAP® treatment include:
- 24-hour recovery
- Minimal discomfort following treatment and during recovery
- No scalpels or sutures required
- Reduced risk of infection following treatment
- Less bleeding
- Reduced treatment time
- Long-lasting results
- Reduced risk of gum sensitivity following treatment
- Gum stimulation and bone regeneration
- Healthy gum tissue is preserved during treatment
The LANAP® Laser Process
Your journey to optimal gum health begins with an appointment with Dr. Pham where he’ll conduct a thorough examination, discuss your overall oral health, review your medical history, and answer any questions you may have. Based on his findings and results, he’ll create a personalized treatment plan to get your periodontal health back on track.
We’ll then take detailed x-rays so we have a clearer picture of the severity of your gum disease. In most cases, LANAP® laser therapy can be done in one appointment. It takes around two hours per session but only one side of your mouth can be worked on at a time. If you have signs of infection on both sides of your mouth, you’ll have to return to our office for an additional session.
During your session, Dr. Pham will use a local anesthetic so that your experience is painless. Once you’re comfortable, we’ll apply the laser light directly to the infected pockets between your teeth and gums. This laser is specially designed to target only the infected tissue which means more of your healthy tissue will be preserved during treatment compared to traditional gum treatments.
Once your gums are clean, we’ll use the laser to stimulate your gums so that they create a blood clot around the freshly cleaned area. This laser activates the natural healing abilities of your body which begins the process of filling and repairing the pockets caused by the previous infection. This also heals your gums and reattaches your gums to your teeth without the need for sutures and is faster than traditional treatment.
In many cases, you can even go on about your day following treatment which means you can leave our office healthier than when you arrived with little interruption to your day.
Choose LANAP® Laser Therapy for Pain-Free Treatment
With the ever-growing technology, dental treatments are more effective and comfortable than ever before. Protecting your oral wellness shouldn’t be a scary and painful endeavor which is why Dr. Pham is happy to offer LANAP® laser therapy for your periodontal needs. If you’d like to learn more about this revolutionary treatment, schedule an appointment at our San Jose office by calling (408) 253-4150 or filling out our online form today.
