The most important aspect of treating periodontal disease (gum disease) is a detailed examination of the health of the gums around each individual tooth. You may have a generalized condition that affects most of the teeth, or we may find only localized areas of gum disease around a few teeth. If you have serious gum disease you may need an immediate referral to a gum specialist, or a periodontist. If you have minor to moderate problems, we will recommend a number of different measures to get you back in good health including the laser which will help us to decontaminate pockets of gum disease around your teeth.

Laser technology is in its initial stages of use in dentistry. It is certain to continue to develop in the coming years as it is one of the most painless and bio-compatible tools to be adopted by modern medicine. Laser assisted gum therapy is a new technique for bacterial reduction under the gums involving a “Diode Laser”. In a nutshell, this technology uses a type of light energy that targets bacteria, and the proteins that enable tarter to bond to the tooth deep below the gums. Laser energy has an affinity for pigmentation and the microbes that cause gum disease happen to be pigmented. This allows the laser to seek them out. As the bacteria nuclei absorb this particular wavelength of light, they are destroyed. Your body’s own healthy cells do not absorb this type of energy so there is very little collateral damage to healthy tissue. Healing is quick and comfortable. This is one of the greatest advantages to laser assisted gum therapy.  Once the diseased tissue and tarter is removed, laser energy appears to have the added beneficial effect of enhancing bone and soft tissue attachment.

In fact, in many adults with otherwise healthy mouths, it is quite common for us to find just one or two teeth with an initial active state of gum deterioration. In our office, if we find this sort of situation, we will recommend a procedure called "root planing and scaling" for that site. This is a more extensive form of cleaning the pocket that usually involves the use of anesthesia and ultrasonic technology to comfortably and completely remove the deepest particles of calculus. Then we will carefully use the laser to remove a layer of tissue that has been suffering the gum infection for perhaps years. By using the laser to further sterilize the pocket and remove the diseased epithelial tissue, the body can then begin the healing process anew... in a healthy, contaminant free zone.  Many dentists who use the laser for this level of treatment find that it is a great tool, both comfortable and effective in reducing the pockets with low-grade infection. We always use the laser as an adjunct to a very specialized type of deep cleaning. It is important to remember that the laser is only one important tool in helping you maintain healthy gums when there are initial to moderate problems. Another new tool is an antibiotic called Arestin^®. (See our page on "Arestin^® Therapy" under "gum care". Arestin^® is usually placed in a pocket following ultrasonic scaling and laser treatment).

Months after your deep cleaning/laser therapy, the dentist will do a detailed assessment of your gum health, if he or she still finds the gum pockets have not improved, you may be referred to a gum specialist who can handle this unresponsive problem with comprehensive treatment methods that may include gum surgery. Reviews of scientific literature do not suggest that the laser should take the place of traditional gum surgery when that is needed. If you have a form of gum disease and pocketing that does not respond to our best conservative efforts, then you should see a specialist.