It is important in any industry to be on the forefront of the latest technology, and although lasers have been a common word in the modern vernacular for some time, they are still making many improvements for periodontists. According to the
American Academy of Periodontology, the effectiveness of lasers on gum disease is still up for debate, but with many more studies being done in the future, hopefully a more conclusive answer will be found. One thing is certain: Dr. Kao is always on the cutting edge of the periodontal industry and keeps up with the latest trends and most effective procedures. If you are looking for a
periodontist in downtown Los Angeles, look no further than
Dr. Kao.
Contact your periodontal dentist 90017 here!
How does laser gum therapy work?
The benefit of using lasers to treat the gums is that minimal tissue is removed to fix the problem. Traditionally, the process to repair gum disease, or periodontitis, was called scaling and root planning, which is where a hand tool is used to clean out the infected area below the gum line and then smooth the rough areas at the root of the teeth to prevent further bacteria buildup and infection. The same process has become much more effective and involved much less tissue removal with the incorporation of lasers into the scaling and root planning method. Now, periodontists can use lasers to kill the infected tissue and bacteria in a certain area, and also use an ultrasonic root cleaner in place of scraping. The laser can also be used in the recovery process by warming the stem cells once the procedure is completed to create sealed tissue at the root. Ultimately, lasers are intended to streamline the process of fixing periodontitis with minimal damage to the tooth and root.
What are the benefits and disadvantages?
With this new technological advancement in the treatment of gum disease, there are many benefits:
Because the use of hand tools is mitigated with lasers, there is much less gum bleeding when a periodontitis procedure is performed. There is also much less chance of bacterial infections because fewer tools are coming into direct contact with the gums.
By allowing periodontists to have more control over the wavelengths used for each specific patient, each procedure can be tailor made to fit the patient’s level of severity. It also allows dentists to focus more accurately on the infected area, and not have any collateral damage to the surrounding teeth.
There is less trauma to the gums when using lasers, so the recovery time is significantly less, and the procedure has become less invasive.
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