Less pain. Less Discomfort. The laser alternative to traditional gum surgery.
LANAP®
Laser Gum Treatment
LANAP Laser Treatment Vista, CA
The effects of gum disease can reach far beyond your mouth; periodontal disease has been linked to stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies. It can also increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by as much as 64 percent.
Gum disease affects millions, yet many people postpone treatment due to the invasiveness of traditional treatments.
One of the best treatments available is Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure or LANAP – a ground-breaking gum disease treatment that is minimally invasive, highly effective, and can assist with tooth loss prevention.
Dr. Valentina Obradovic was one of the very first dentists in Vista and San Diego to offer this procedure, and today Adriatic Dental performs this procedure multiple time per week.
Tooth Loss Prevention: Understanding the Stages of Gum Disease and how LANAP can help!
Gum disease begins when tartar and bacteria trapped beneath the gum line lead to infection. Periodontal disease evolves over time, but can be reversed in the early stages with intervention.
By gaining insight into this progression, patients may be able to recognize the signs and seek appropriate gum disease treatment to aide in tooth loss prevention.
1. Gingivitis. The mildest form of periodontal disease, a pocket is formed between the gum and tooth, and symptoms include inflamed gums that may bleed while brushing or flossing. At this first stage, gingivitis can usually be reversed with cleanings and stricter adherence to dental hygiene, so it is important to be on the lookout for these signs to increase the chances of tooth loss prevention.
2. Periodontitis. As gum disease progresses, infection and inflammation spread to the bone supporting the teeth. Gum recession may occur as ligaments break down. Pockets deepen and you may experience redness, swelling, and bleeding as bacteria multiplies and the infection starts destroying the bone.
3. Advanced Periodontitis. In the advanced stage, bone loss continues and teeth begin to loosen due to the loss of ligament and bone. The periodontal pockets deepen even further, often filling with pus. Your teeth may hurt when brush and feel sensitive to heat or cold. In some cases, removing teeth may be necessary to stop the infection from spreading, but choosing a gum disease treatment like LANAP® might allow you to keep your natural teeth.
Benefits of LANAP Over Traditional Gum Surgery
- Save Natural Teeth. The top reason patients choose laser gum surgery for Vista dental care is because of the laser’s ability (in many cases) to preserve natural teeth. With traditional surgery, teeth often must be removed to prevent the further spread of infection.
- Reduced Recession. Because traditional surgery uses a blade, your gum line can be reduced. The amount of reduction varies by patient, but traditional surgery can lower the gum line from as little as 2-4 mm all the way to 10-15 mm. Gum recession can detract from the aesthetics of a person’s smile as well as increase teeth’s sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures. LANAP® is designed to only target diseased tissue, leaving most of the tissue intact an reducing gum recession.
- Less Pain. Many people with gum disease postpone treatment because they dread the pain of traditional surgery. Since there is no cutting or suturing in LANAP®, patients report minimal pain. Pain medication is rarely prescribed, and patients can resume their daily activities fairly quickly following the procedure.
- Long-term Results. Although both treatments produce excellent long-term results, LANAP® has the advantage of greater predictability in regards to the connective reattachment of tissue and bone regeneration. The laser encourages regeneration by stimulating the bone surrounding the root of the tooth, often saving teeth that would have otherwise been removed. Oftentimes, patients who have undergone LANAP® continue improving as time goes on and Dr. Valentina Obradovic is able to reverse the effects of gum disease at the Vista dental practice.
