Patient Education

MedicalNewsToday.com says scientists have established a link between poor oral health, gum disease, and cognitive decline. They believe that the bacteria behind gum disease may contribute to the development of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

If you have existing gum disease, don’t worry. There are several ways to fight it, including minimally invasive laser treatment for gums.

Our dental office serves Poway, Sorrento Valley, and San Diego, CA. In this guide, the caring team at A+ Family Dentistry will explore gum disease laser treatment. Read on to discover how it works and its many revolutionary benefits.

How Laser Gum Surgery Procedure Works for Periodontal Disease

According to NIH MedlinePlus, periodontal (gum) disease affects 42% of American adults 30 and older. Its prevalence increases with age, with nearly 60% of adults 65 and older having some form of the disease. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent tooth loss.

Laser procedures are a less invasive and more innovative dental treatment that lets your San Diego, Sorrento Valley, or Poway dentist treat gum disease at all stages. Here’s how they’ll use laser treatment to help with your condition.

First, your oral healthcare team will thoroughly assess your teeth and gums. It can help them identify all possible oral and overall health problems and their severity.

Your dentist will then determine the best course of action based on their findings. For example, if you also have tooth decay, they will likely recommend treating them with fillings and root canal therapy (if necessary). They’ll also tell you if you’re a good candidate for laser gum disease treatment.

Suppose your gums have pulled away from your teeth and formed gaps called “pockets.” If the pockets have grown too deep and are full of plaque and tartar, your dentist will perform a scaling and root planing procedure first.

The procedure removes the build-up from the pockets, making it a crucial first-line treatment for periodontal disease.

Your dentist will then use the laser to remove diseased gum tissues.

Advances in laser dentistry have made these devices so precise that they only target diseased gums. Thus, you don’t have to worry about the light damaging or removing healthy tissues. The lasers also eliminate disease-causing bacteria from the pockets.

Ultrasonic cleaning devices, also called ultrasonic scalers, generate high-frequency sound waves. After cleaning the pockets and removing damaged tissue and germs, your dentist in Sorrento Valley, Poway, or San Diego will switch to these tools.

The waves from ultrasonic scalers create vibrations. When paired with water pressure, they can effectively break down tartar. So, with this combination, you can get a deeper, more thorough teeth and gum cleaning from your Poway, Sorrento Valley, or San Diego dentist.

After the ultrasonic cleaning, your dentist will use the laser again to eliminate any remaining debris at the bottom of the gum pockets.

The laser also disinfects tissue and bone and stimulates blood clot formation. Blood clotting helps speed the healing process and encourages gum tissue to reattach to the tooth. So, there’s no need for stitches if you choose lasertreatment for your gum disease.

The Revolutionary Benefits of Laser Gum Treatment

With proper use, lasers allow your dentist to accomplish complex tasks more precisely without relying on extensive surgical operations. Here’s what this means if you opt for laser gum treatment.

One of the many benefits of laser gum treatment is less bleeding. Remember, it doesn’t create incisions and only targets infected tissues.

Moreover, the laser cauterizes blood vessels. Cauterization effectively seals the vessels, reducing blood loss during and after the procedure.

An article published on PubMed Central points out that laser use in surgical procedures decreases post-operative pain and inflammation. The same applies to laser gum treatment, as it only removes targeted tissue and leaves the rest intact. Not needing sutures also helps reduce discomfort after treatment.

Surgical wound infections occur when germs enter the cuts surgeons make during operations. When wounds become infected, they can cause:

• Delayed wound healing
• Tissue damage
• Abscess formation
• Pain, tenderness, and inflammation
• Fever

Laser treatment helps minimize such risks because of its targeted approach, which doesn’t require a highly skilled dentist to make incisions. Moreover, as mentioned above, it sterilizes and cauterizes tissues. As a result, it can further reduce the likelihood of germs entering the treatment area.

All those benefits make laser gum treatment beneficial for eligible patients, but even more so for seniors who need oral care. It can be especially ideal for older adults as aging can impair immune functions and make them more prone to infections.

Due to its precision, sterilizing benefits, and cauterizing effects, laser treatment allows for better, faster healing. So, it’s no wonder that highly skilled dentists use it for other general dentistry services, such as gum reshaping and lesion removal.

After successful laser treatment, the gum tissues should begin recovering, and many patients heal after about a week. Once your gums are in good shape, they should become firmer and develop a healthy pink color. They should also adhere to and provide the teeth with more stable, robust support, keeping them in place and minimizing their risk of becoming loose and falling out.

Your dentist will recommend strategies for optimal, ongoing periodontal care to help maximize the results of your treatment. In addition to brushing twice and flossing once daily, they may advise you to schedule dental visits twice yearly for gum monitoring and professional cleaning.

Laser treatment for gums is an innovative, minimally invasive method for combatting painful, tooth-loss-causing periodontal disease. So, if you have gum disease and want to regain control of your oral health, visit our dental office, A+ Family Dentistry.

For over 20 years, we’ve helped patients throughout Poway, San Diego, and Sorrento Valley achieve healthier teeth and gums. We can do the same for you through our highly experienced dentists, compassionate staff, state-of-the-art technology, and the latest in periodontal care, general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry.

Reach out today to learn how we can help and schedule your consultation!