LASER
What are laser gum treatments?
Gum disease affects millions of people in North America; in fact, it's the #1 cause of tooth loss among adults. In traditional gum treatments, sharp instruments, scalpels and sutures are used to treat gum disease and perform other treatments aimed at improving gum health and aesthetics. Lasers use highly-focused energy for treatments that are less traumatic to gum tissue, enabling treatments to be more conservative so gum healing is faster and the risks of infection and bleeding are significantly reduced.
What are the benefits of laser gum treatments?
Laser gum treatments have several important benefits that can make it easier for you to achieve better oral health. First, laser treatments are far less invasive than traditional approaches to gum care and treatment, and they're also far less traumatic to surrounding healthy tissues. That means patients can experience less bleeding, less swelling and far less discomfort, plus recovery is faster. Plus, patients who undergo laser gum treatments are less likely to have a recurrence of gum disease compared to those who have traditional gum disease treatments.
How are lasers used in gum treatments?
One of the most popular uses for lasers is the treatment of gum disease. While traditional gum disease treatments use medical instruments to scrape off tartar and bacteria, laser treatments replace sharp instruments with intense energy that can be precisely controlled to remove tartar, plaque and bacteria without damaging the tooth surface. Plus, the laser technique encourages gums that have pulled away from tooth surfaces to reattach to the tooth to prevent a natural barrier to disease-causing bacteria. Lasers are also frequently used in gum grafting procedures in patients whose gums have significantly receded, and in the treatment of hyperpigmentation, or dark spots on the gum.