Laser Gum and Soft Tissue Treatments

We can use a lasers to treat gum disease.  The laser kills many of the offending bacteria, removes diseased tissue, and encourages gum reattachment to the teeth. Laser treatment is usually done without local anesthesia and often reduces the need for more extensive periodontal surgery.

After a thorough periodontal screening and examination we may choose more aggressive therapies aimed at eliminating or reducing the amounts of bacterial poisons and plaque accumulating below the gum line, (generally cleaning and polishing of teeth is above the gum-line) – this involves curettage and root-planning and/or treatment with site specific administration of medications to the affected gums. Curettage is the debridement of the soft tissue lining around the tooth. When infected this tissue is chronically irritated by bacteria deep below the visible gum-line and needs to be removed so that proper healing can occur. Root-Planning is the removal and smoothing of micro-amounts of root surface so that a clean and un-infected surface is presented to the healing lining of soft tissue.