What Is LANAP?

If you have periodontal disease, especially if you have been diagnosed with advanced periodontal disease, you may be worried about treating the disease. Many patients don’t want o get their teeth looked at because they worry that the treatment for periodontitis may be much worse than the prospect of losing their teeth.

If you worry about the treatment of gum disease, you’re in luck. A new procedure makes treating gum disease much easier and practically painless.

A Simple Explanation of LANAP

Periodontal disease affects nearly half of all adults in the United States, and nearly 70% of older adults have periodontal disease. The disease has three stages. In the first stage, called gingivitis, your gums may be red and inflamed.

The second and third stages of periodontal disease are called periodontitis and advanced periodontitis. These stages involve deep cleaning of the spaces between your teeth and gums.

The cleaning procedure for periodontal disease, especially in advanced stages, sometimes means removing diseased gum tissue. In the past, this would mean stitches and a lot of bleeding.

However, LANAP, or Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, treats your gum disease with lasers. The lasers take the place of a scalpel, which means less pain and bleeding for you.

Thinking About the LANAP Procedure

With the LANAP procedure, the dentist uses a laser to remove bacteria and diseased gum tissue. The laser is virtually painless, and because it automatically cauterizes gum tissue, there is far less bleeding and bruising and no sutures.

In many cases, you’ll be able to return to work after your procedure is complete. You will be able to have your gums treated without worrying about the side effects. If you have questions about LANAP, we can help you figure out if the procedure is right for you.