Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy
In LAPT therapy there is no cutting away of the gums or bone as in traditional treatment. The Waterlase MD™ laser uses a unique combination of laser energy and water to provide gentler, more precise treatment that conserves healthy tissue and minimizes pain and discomfort.
There are so many reasons why it is beneficial, one can see why dentists use it throughout the United States. The following are many of these benefits.
LAPT TREATMENT IS:
1. More Comfortable (With Little or No Pain): In addition to the laser’s increased accuracy and shortened treatment time, patients, one for one, prefer the Waterlase MD™ over traditional treatment because it eliminates or minimizes any discomfort (pain) which is experienced during and after therapy.
The #1 reason why patients delay needed trips to the dentist is not wanting to experience the pain related to traditional dentistry. The Waterlase™ LAPT therapy is minimally invasive and relatively painless, therefore there is often no need for dental shots or anxiety.
2. Minimally Invasive: MD laser treatment is about as non-invasive as you can get. There is no cutting of the gum or bone as in traditional surgery. Utilizing LAPT, a small laser fiber is inserted into the diseased gum pocket. This precise laser disintegrates the bacteria and diseased tissue without harming any of your healthy tissues. The disease is removed and health gums and bone are given a good chance to regenerate.
3. Less Damaging: The Waterlase™ allows the doctor to remove periodontal disease, gum tissue (e.g. to enhance a gummy smile) or bone (e.g. in crown lengthening), and diseased tooth structures (e.g. sub-gingival cavities) while leaving surrounding areas whole and healthy. This promotes healing and allows you to keep more of your normal gum tissue!
4. Safe: WaterLase™ lasers are completely safe and have been approved by the US FDA as safe for periodontal treatment, periodontal cosmetics, crown lengthening and implant preparation as well as a variety of other dental procedures.
In actual fact our advanced WaterLase MD™ laser has been said to be safer than traditional treatment because it sterilizes and seals your periodontal pockets, hindering re-infection and promoting faster healing. During the procedure the patient will also wear tinted safety glasses.
5. Biologically Healthy: LAPT eliminates disease without harming surrounding healthy tissues. This is why WaterLase MD™’s minimally invasive treatment has been called “Biological Dentistry”. LAPT results in healthier gums leaving more tooth structure and bone in tact. In addition, the laser sterilizes as it removes diseased tissue and provides a sealing clot that inhibits reinfection.
6. Affordable: Traditional periodontal treatment often takes months and can be more expensive that minimally invasive laser therapy. Insurances and financing normally cover laser treatment.
TREATMENT ITSELF IS:
1. Little or No Procedure Discomfort: The #1 reason why patients delay needed trips to the dentist is not wanting to experience the pain, sensitivity and dental shots related to traditional dentistry. The Waterlase MD™ LAPT therapy is minimally invasive and relatively painless, therefore there is little or no need for dental shots or anxiety.
2. More Precise: The Waterlase MD™ provides pinpoint accuracy and complete cleaning of diseased tissue without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. This promotes healing and allows you to keep your natural teeth.
3. Takes Fewer Appointments: It takes about half the number of visits of traditional surgical treatment. Traditional procedures often requires more appointments, with subsequent visits for suture removal and additional check-ups.
4. Minimal Anesthetic: Because LAPT is minimally invasive, less anesthetic (numbing) is needed.
5. Less need for mechanical handpieces (No Drill Noise, Vibration or Pain): The Waterlase MD™ reduces the need for dental drills in periodontal treatment by doing the same work gently without the heat, vibration and pressure of dental drilling. It is the heat, vibration and pressure that cause pain. The laser is more accurate and quicker without the annoying whine of the drill. All of this makes a much more comfortable experience.
6. Has Fewer Restrictions (Medically or Medications): Waterlase MD™ is safe for patients with health concerns. In addition, patients taking blood thinning medications (e.g. Coumadin, aspirin, Plavix) need not go off of these medications to receive treatment. It is also more indicated for smokers as gum recession is less prevalent in laser dentistry.
AFTER LASER THERAPY:
1. More Comfortable Recovery (Little or No Pain): Because of the precision of the therapy and the sterilization and sealing effect of the laser, there is little or no recovery discomfort, sensitivity, swelling, or bleeding. There is little need for post-therapy pain medications like there can be with traditional periodontal surgery.
2. Faster Recovery: Most patients find that they have less than a 24-hour recovery period, so you won’t lose time from work. In most cases, patients feel good right after the procedure. Following traditional surgery, recovery can take between to 2-4 weeks during which patients can experience considerable pain and swelling.
3. Promotes Tissue Re-Growth: Your body naturally wants to repair itself. Because LAPT treatment removes diseased tissue while preserving your healthy tissue and your previously infected areas are sealed. Then healthy tissue is given a chance to grow back.
On the final step of the LAPT procedure, the laser is applied once more to clean and sterilize the area. The laser is then used to seal it with a blood clot. This hinders re-growth of infection and promotes an environment where the gum and bone can regenerate.
There are many LAPT cases where a patient’s infected areas were dramatically reduced and bone re-growth stabilized the teeth.
4. Consistently Good Results: The minimally invasive Waterlase MD™ LAPT treatment assures that you get consistently good results. It reduces your periodontal bacteria and promotes re-growth of the surrounding tissues giving you a health natural smile that can last a lifetime. LAPT does not result in the loss of healthy gum or bone tissue as almost always occurs in traditional surgery. Loss of healthy tissue can expose your tooth roots leading to more sensitive teeth and with a greater chance of tooth decay.
5. More Cosmetic Results: One of the unfortunate aspects of traditional periodontal surgery is that the gums need to be cut away to expose the bottom of periodontal pockets where periodontal bacterial grow. This procedure can lead to gum recession and exposed roots which can make your teeth look unsightly.
Periodontal therapy with the WaterLase MD™ enhances the appearance of the gums by preserving healthy gum tissue and reducing periodontal pockets with minimal gum recession. The laser can also be used for a variety of cosmetic periodontal procedures such as cosmetic crown lengthening (to give a fuller smile) and gum re-contouring (to treat a “gummy smile”).