Welcome back to part two in this blog series about the threat and the treatment of advanced gum disease.
In its early stages, gum disease is fairly easy to treat, but it is hard to recognize because there is little to no pain or discomfort associated with early stage gum disease. As a result, many people don’t even realize they have gum disease until it is already in its advanced stage. That is when gum disease can cause some serious issues and threaten the health of your mouth and your body as a whole.
Here in Carrollton, Ronald L. Proctor, DDS provides the latest in gum treatment by using lasers instead of the old scalpel and stitches method.
Traditional Gum Surgery
Advanced gum disease leads to a variety of health issues, including tooth loss and infection. Not to mention the cosmetic issues that come with receding gums and tooth decay. So, when gum disease advances to this point, something has to be done.
Traditionally, a situation like this would require surgery. A scalpel would be used to cut away diseased gum, which would then be stitched up. Obviously, this could be a painful and invasive procedure, with a fairly long healing time.
Fortunately, this process is not the only option these days. At our office in Carrollton, we provide gum disease treatment that uses the advanced dental technology of lasers of do what once had to be done with razor sharp stainless steel.
Laser Therapy
At the office of Ronald L. Proctor, DDS we use the LANAP gum therapy system to treat your gum disease without pain or stitches, and with less healing time.
The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, or LANAP, uses a Periolase laser to remove diseased gum tissue, while leaving healthy tissue. The laser cleans and sanitizes the area while removing the unhealthy portion of the gum.
We will also use this opportunity to clean your teeth and remove calcified plaque from your roots, so that new bacteria will have no place to hide.
Since there are no stitches, there is a much lesser chance of infection and much shorter recovery time. And best of all, the LANAP system is just as effective as traditional gum surgery, but with little to no pain.
Benefits
Aside for removing diseased gum tissue, the LANAP system will also promote regrowth of healthy gums.
For most, the procedure is painless, with little bleeding and a shorter recovery time.
Laser treatment is more affordable than surgery, and less invasive.
Dental Sedation
Even though laser gum therapy causes very little or no pain, a dental procedure like this can be intimidating and nerve wracking. We don’t want dental anxiety to stop you from coming in for a very important procedure like gum disease treatment, so here at the office of Ronald L. Proctor, we provide a variety of sedation options.
For those with mild dental anxiety, inhaled sedation, nitrous oxide, will likely be enough to put your mind at ease and let your relax.
If your anxiety is more moderate, or if you have a hard time sitting still, then oral sedation may be what you need. This will put you into a deep state of relaxation, while you remain awake and somewhat alert.
If you have a deep-seeded fear of dental visits, then IV sedation may be necessary for your to receive the treatment you need to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Don’t Put Off Treatment
Failure to treat gum disease could result in tooth loss, as well other oral and general health problems. Missing teeth make eating difficult, which means you will less healthy foods because they are harder to chew. Eventually, you may get to the point where you eat as little as possible because chewing become so difficult and painful.
Aside from causing missing teeth, gum disease can make your remaining teeth more sensitive, making eating even more uncomfortable. If this goes on, you can become malnourished and generally weak.
Gum disease can also cause infection, which can spread. An infection that starts in the gums can spread throughout your mouth and even into your bloodstream, where it spread throughout your body, wreaking havoc on your overall health.
Of course, the best way to treat gum disease is to prevent it. That is why it is so important to visit the office of Ronald L. Proctor, DDS for an examination. We can detect the early stages of gum disease and treat it while it’s still easy to treat.
So, don’t wait. Contact us today and make an appointment.
