What is LANAP Laser Gum Surgery?

What is LANAP Laser Gum Surgery?

LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, which is an FDA approved advanced dental treatment that encourages bone regeneration. With periodontal disease, i.e., gum disease, evident in eighty-five percent of adults in the United States, Millennium Dental Technologies (MDT) obtained a first-of-its-kind 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for periodontal regeneration – true regeneration of the attachment apparatus on a previously diseased root surface when used specifically in the LANAP protocol. The FDA clearance’s for tissue regeneration by Millennium Dental Technologies demonstrated for the first time ever that tissues lost to disease can be fully regenerated and return to functional health.

The “new attachment” is referring to is the way the laser treatment promotes the attachment of healthy gum tissue to bone in your mouth. That’s really important in the treatment of periodontal disease, or gum disease, because the progression of gum disease means parts of your gums become infected, thereby becoming loose with deep pockets. This leads to infected gums, red gums, bleeding gums, puffy gums, swollen gums, loose teeth, and eventually missing teeth. It is important to treat gum disease as early as possible to try to get gum disease to reverse course.

Reversing this problem during periodontal treatment is traditionally done over a long period of time, relying on natural gum healing in many cases. With LANAP to assist in gum disease treatment, the laser encourages healthy gum tissue to create those new attachments and improve the healing of your gums at a faster rate. At Smile Bright Periodontics, we are one of the few periodontal practices in Southern California that is LANAP certified, so you can be sure you’re being treated by the best Southern California periodontist with latest dental technology.

LANAP for Gum Surgery

During osseous surgery, the traditional way to treat advanced periodontal disease, severe gum disease, the periodontist uses scalpels to cut diseased gum tissue away and reach any infected pockets in your bone or gums, then remove them surgically. Afterwards, sutures are used to reshape the gums around the teeth without the deep pockets. This is usually an effective procedure, but it does have a long recovery time and is much more invasive.

On the other hand, LANAP instead eliminates diseased gum tissue with a light frequency. The laser also kills any bacteria present in the mouth, which helps speed healing and encourages new tissue growth. Both the removal of diseased tissues and the restoration of healthy tissue are done in with the least minimally invasive dental procedure with minimal trauma to the gums and a better path towards healing.

Effectiveness of LANAP

Studies on LANAP procedure show positive results, such as less tooth loss and an increase in new tissue attachments. There is essentially a regeneration of tissue within the mouth. There’s also good news on the long-term success of LANAP for gum disease. Patients who have LANAP done show less recurrence of their periodontal disease, i.e., their gum disease, over time compared to patients who are treated with traditional methods like osseous surgery. This is because the laser gets rid of bacteria that cause gum disease, and the improved tissue regrowth means that the bone and roots of teeth are better protected from future disease. We also find that LANAP patients better follow home dental care regimens, which helps to prevent future gum disease.

Does LANAP Regrow Gum and Bone?

LANAP creates the most optimal conditions possible to speed a patient’s own natural regenerative healing processes, especially in comparison to traditional procedures. There’s no cutting and sewing to recover from, so the tissues can heal more easily. Also, applying the laser itself helps sterilize the area for better healing, and the light frequency used promotes quick new tissue growth in the gums and bone treated. There’s also clinical evidence for some bone regeneration shown after use of LANAP for gum disease, although complete regeneration is something scientists are still working to understand.

Call our office today at 818-584-1841 for a consultation to see if you are a candidate for the amazing LANAP Laser Gum Surgery!