About

If you have received news that you have periodontal disease, you are not alone. The good news is that several treatment options are available to treat gum infections. What treatment you get the prescription for will depend on your case’s severity. If you have gum disease that is not too severe to require surgery, you may get a recommendation for laser periodontal therapy.

You may already know that laser technology has found its application in a majority of industries. But did you know that the dental care industry has also started utilizing this technology to treat many dental and oral health problems? While it is exciting to see how this technology can help dental health experts bring advancements, more studies are required to make more advancements. As of now, laser periodontal therapy is a less invasive treatment option for gum diseases.

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection affecting the supporting tissues and bone that hold your teeth in place. Periodontal disease or periodontitis is an advanced infection in the gums. The early stage of this infection is called gingivitis, which can be reversed with a rigorous dental care routine. However, you will need to go for a professional intervention if you have periodontal disease. This infection usually starts affecting people during their 30s or 40s. Here are the risk factors for periodontal disease.

• Poor oral hygiene
• Chronic illnesses
• Smoking
• Medications
• Genetic susceptibility

The standard treatment for periodontal disease is scaling and root planing. This treatment aims at removing tartar, plaque buildup, and bacteria from the tooth and the area below the gum line. This treatment stimulates your gum tissues, helping them to regrow and support your teeth.

Alternatively, your dentist may decide to perform surgery to treat your periodontal disease. This decision will be based on the case’s severity. The most common surgical option is flap surgery, which involves cutting the gum tissue to expose the root area. After the cleaning is complete, the surgeon will place the flap back to its place and suture the cut.

How laser therapy works

Laser periodontal therapy doesn’t eliminate the need for traditional treatments, but you will find it more effective for sure. During laser therapy, your dentist will use the laser to access and remove inflamed gum tissues around your teeth and their roots. They will then remove plaque buildup and tartar around the under the gum line. Next, they will use special tools to smooth out any rough edges.

Your mouth will need some time to heal and regenerate after laser therapy. You have to make sure that your gums are infection-free during the time of healing.

Risks and benefits

There are several benefits of laser periodontal therapy. Some of them are the following.

• Healing and recovery times are shorter.
• This therapy doesn’t necessitate you to have general anesthesia beforehand.
• Laser targets diseased or inflamed areas quite precisely.
• This therapy results in lesser bleeding, pain, and swelling. That is because it is a less invasive periodontal treatment option.

While there are several benefits to this treatment, it is not yet supported by some medical authorities. Experts continue to study the impact of the laser. Now enough evidence is available regarding whether this treatment is better than traditional periodontal treatments.