Overcome Gum Disease with Minimally Invasive Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP)

Understandably, you are worried if you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, especially if it’s past the gingivitis stage. If left untreated, gum disease causes gum recession, loose teeth, and even tooth loss! While treatments for advanced periodontal disease are always invasive, Glendale Dental Wellness of Glendale, California, is happy to introduce the Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP). With LANAP, Dr. Ivan Chan will conservatively treat your diseased tissues and allow you to return to your everyday life without delay. 

Understanding gum disease

Before diving deep into LANAP, you must understand how gum disease develops and its symptoms. Plaque is the primary cause of gum infection, which forms when harmful bacteria mix with food debris and saliva. While factors like poor immunity, smoking, hormonal changes, and stress can cause plaque build-up, poor oral hygiene is the main culprit.

When you fail to brush and floss properly, plaque accumulates on your teeth. Plaque contains bacteria that produce toxins that inflame your gums, causing redness, tenderness, swelling, and bleeding.

These symptoms occur in the early stage of gum disease (gingivitis), but when ignored, the disease progresses to periodontitis, which causes chronic bad breath and periodontal pockets between teeth and gums. As the disease advances, gingival ligaments deteriorate and can no longer hold teeth together, causing wobbly teeth that eventually fall out.

Treating gum disease with LANAP

Traditional treatments for advanced gum disease involve surgery, where the doctor uses a scalpel to remove diseased tissue and then closes the surgical site with sutures. While traditional surgery works, it’s often invasive and prolongs the recovery period.

With laser-assisted surgery, you don’t have to worry about scalpels and stitches. With LANAP, the dentist uses precise lasers to eliminate the source of inflammation and reduce periodontal pockets. This FDA-approved gum disease treatment achieves “true regeneration” of gum and bone tissue from advanced gum disease without traditional methods.

What to expect from laser treatment

LANAP is an outpatient procedure administered at our office under local anesthesia. The dentist uses the laser to remove the diseased tissues carefully without harming the healthy tissues. The laser cauterizes the tissues as it clears the infection, resulting in minimal bleeding.

The procedure takes about two hours, and you may need at least two sessions since we treat one side of the mouth each session. After the procedure, you’ll experience some pain and swelling, but not significant enough to affect your everyday activities.

Benefits of LANAP

These include:

  • Conservative treatment
  • Faster recovery
  • Minimal post-operative discomfort
  • No anxiety-invoking scalpels and sutures
  • Effective treatment
  • No need for gum and bone tissue grafts

Need to learn more about LANAP? Please call 818-243-3838 to schedule an appointment with Glendale Dental Wellness.