LANAP®
(Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure)
Basic Steps of the LANAP® Protocol
The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP®) is now available for patients in London, ON. Gum disease treatment traditionally involves the cutting and stitching of the gums, which can be quite painful for patients. However, with laser gum surgery, there is no cutting involved. Instead, a laser is used to remove bacteria and diseased tissue in a less painful and less invasive manner. For patients, gum disease treatment can now be treated in just six short steps:
• Measuring the depth of your pockets – The first step in laser gum surgery is to measure the depth of your periodontal pockets. This involves placing a small probe between your teeth and the gum line to measure how much loss of attachment has occurred.
• Removing bacteria – The next step in laser gum surgery is to remove bacteria and diseased tissue from the area. For this step, a pulsed laser light is sent into the periodontal pockets to vaporize any bacteria and diseased tissue. This is much less painful than using a scalpel.
• Removal of calculus – Because the laser itself cannot remove calculus, ultrasonic scalers are used to remove the small deposits of calculus that form beneath the gum line.
• Forming the blood clot – The laser then makes its second pass over the area to stimulate bone and soft tissue growth. The heat from the laser also makes the blood clot and stick to the surface of the tooth. This is how laser gum surgery is able to reduce the amount of bleeding.
• Recompressing the tissue – The tissue is then recompressed against the surface of the teeth. Laser gum surgery does not require any stitches for the process.
• Checking the teeth for trauma – The final step in laser gum surgery is to examine your teeth and check for any signs of trauma.
Laser gum surgery is a non-invasive way to treat gum disease. Gum disease treatment no longer needs to be a painful process. If saving teeth and improving your overall oral health is important to you, laser gum surgery is an option to consider.
