Laser Your Gum Disease
 New
methods for treating medical conditions and diseases are always
being developed. Arthroscopy has allowed surgeons to be
minimally invasive gaining access in orthopedic surgery. LASIK
has developed laser use for correcting vision.
Dentistry now has lasers and techniques to
treat periodontal disease in a minimally invasive way.
Periodontal disease is one of the most
common medical conditions facing our adult population. As many
as 80% of thirty-five year olds are affected by periodontal disease.
Two phases exist in periodontal disease. The early stage,
gingivitis, is a bacterium caused gum inflammation. Untreated
gingivitis progresses into a chronic condition, affecting the bone
supporting the teeth called periodontitis. Many people don't
even know they have periodontal disease until they risk losing
teeth. Symptoms of periodontal disease include: bleeding
gums during brushing, swollen and tender gums, gums that recede away
from the teeth, loose teeth, chronic bad breath, changes in the way
teeth come together and pus between teeth and gums. However,
the most common symptom is no symptoms until it is too late to
prevent permanent damage. Studies link the bacteria from
periodontal disease to heart disease, diabetes and low birth weight
babies. These bacteria need to be destroyed while still in the
mouth.
Four years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a
laser treatment that can be performed in a dental office. The
Nd:YAG laser uses light energy directed through a
tiny, glass fiber, it removes diseased tissue and aids in the
reduction of bacteria associates with periodontal disease.
When the infected area is thoroughly cleaned, the body can heal its
self. Laser periodontal therapy kills bacteria in the mouth,
minimizes discomfort, eliminates bleeding, controls swelling,
requires a shorter time in the chair, is less invasive and has
faster healing times than conventional scalpel surgery. The
laser allows for no scalpels, no sutures and no post-surgical
packing materials. The laser's use in periodontal treatment
allows for comparable end results to more traditional and
conventional therapies. Successful results in dentistry are
possible using different methods. Laser periodontal surgery is
just one of these.
The laser's use in dentistry will continue to
increase as dentists strive to provide better patient care.
Patients will be able to take advantage of this more friendly
treatment procedure from this exciting developing laser technology.
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