Jesus Perez, DMD, PA

Jesus Perez, DMD, PA; Family and Cosmetic Dentistry OFFERS MINIMALLY-INVASIVE LASER TREATMENT FOR GUM DISEASE

 

Jesus Perez, DMD is First in Area to Offer LANAP™, A Safe and Effective Treatment for the Most Common Medical Condition in the U.S.

 

We are excited and privileged to announce the offering of a simple, quick and safe outpatient treatment for gum disease (clinical term: periodontal disease). The American Dental Association (ADA) defines gum disease as an infection of the tissues that support the teeth. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the condition affects 85 percent of American adults aged 18 and older and moderate to severe forms of gum disease affect 74 percent of the adult population. Laser Periodontal Therapy™ (LPT) offers patients an alternative to conventional treatment for gum disease. LPT was officially cleared by the FDA as the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure™ (LANAP™) and today is used to clear away diseased tissue without cutting or stitching of the gums.

 

With the availability of LANAP, we now have the option to treat patients suffering from gum disease instead of having to refer them out of our practice.  We can now treat patients in my office with a highly effective, well established and scientifically proven procedure. By reducing post-operative pain, the number of sessions required and the recovery time, LANAP eliminates many of the reasons that so many patients hesitate to seek treatment for periodontal disease and helps us ensure that our patients get the best possible dental care.

Before LANAP, patients diagnosed with moderate to severe gum disease were typically referred to periodontists to undergo scalpel and suture periodontal surgery, an invasive, tissue removing and often uncomfortable procedure in which gums are actually cut in order to scrape tartar off the roots. Drills are then used to reshape bone and the gums are repositioned to the tooth with stitches, sometimes along with placement of bone grafts to fill in defects. The process can be lengthy, involving as many as eight appointments versus one or two treatment appointments for LANAP, and is irreversible. Surgery is followed by a lengthy recovery period where gum and exposed roots can be sensitive, painful and subject to cavities.

LANAP is a less painful and less invasive treatment and has fewer complications than surgery. LANAP is performed in our office under local anesthesia.  A tiny laser fiber (about the thickness of three human hairs) is inserted between the tooth and the gum and the infection and disease are cleared away without cutting the gums. The tooth roots are then thoroughly cleaned of tartar and plaque, and the laser is used again with a different setting to create a stable firm fibrin blood clot to seal the pocket. We prefer to treat the full mouth, but can do in two sessions treating one half of the patient’s mouth at each session and patients are able to drive themselves back to work or home following the procedure. We recommend a liquid diet for several days, then soft diet for two weeks.

Patients interested in additional information on LANAP should visit: www.LANAP.com. Periodontal disease treatment is covered by most insurance carriers.