What is Laser Gum Surgery?
Laser gum surgery is an innovative dental procedure used for dental treatment, like correcting gum disease. It is also used frequently to contour the gums to improve a gummy smile. There is no scalpel and no incisions, therefore, laser gum surgery eliminates the need for any sutures and reduces bleeding dramatically.
Periodontal Disease is the Primary Cause
Periodontal or gum disease is a progressive infection affecting your supporting soft tissues and bone, which support your teeth. If your dentist identifies it in the earliest stag,e known as gingivitis, it can be stopped and even reversed with a good oral care routine. More advanced stages of gum disease will require professional intervention. The disease usually affects adults in their 30s and 40s. The risk factors that cause periodontal disease include:
- Poor at-home daily oral hygiene.
- Using any tobacco products.
- A chronic illness, such as diabetes.
- Some specific medications.
- Genetic susceptibility.
Scaling and root planing has been the traditional standard treatment for gum disease. This non-surgical approach of deep cleaning removes the plaque, tartar, and damaging bacteria from your teeth below the surface of the gumline. It also promotes gum tissue regeneration once the primary source of the infection is removed.
Your dentist may suggest that a surgical approach is the most beneficial solution to treat your periodontal disease. This might be because of the severity of your gum infection. A quite common surgical treatment, called gum flap surgery, includes surgical cuts in your gum tissue. The tissue is then pulled back to allow deep cleaning. The gum tissue is then sutured back into its proper place.
Several other surgical options for gum disease include soft tissue grafts, guided tissue regeneration, bone grafting, and the introduction of tissue-stimulating proteins.
How Laser Gum Surgery Works
Laser gum surgery is often in addition to other methods. By using laser gum surgery, your dentist can use a specific dental laser to remove all diseased gum tissue from around the teeth. They will also remove the tartar and plaque accumulated on your teeth around and below your gumline. They might introduce a different tool to smooth out any rough spots on the teeth and roots below the gumline. Removing these spots diminishes the risk of your teeth inviting more bacteria and future infections.
Following your laser gum surgery, your mouth will require a little time to both heal and regenerate. Since your gums are now free of infection, they will return to tightening normally around your teeth.
Not all dentists use laser gum surgery. If your dentist has offered you this treatment, that means they have undergone extensive laser training to make sure they use proper techniques and know how to apply the different wavelengths correctly.
Laser Gum Surgery Benefits
There are various benefits to using dental lasers for the removal of diseased gum tissue. The most common benefits of laser gum surgery are as follows:
- The healing and recovery times are shorter.
- You should not need any anesthetic, which is usually required for other types of dental surgery.
- The dental laser will pinpoint the diseased areas precisely, accurately, and successfully.
- There is very little bleeding, less discomfort or pain, and swelling because laser gum surgery is much less invasive.