Traditional and Laser Gum Surgery
Gum disease affects millions of Americans, and the problem is that most don't know they have it until it is too late. Instead of catching gum disease in the early stages, the infection is left to progress and harm overall health.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal infections commonly occur when plaque isn't removed promptly and left to sit along the gum line. It hardens and turns into tartar or calculus, which harbors various harmful bacteria that attack the mouth's soft tissues.
Gums become red and swollen, pull away from the teeth and pockets form, allowing bacteria to penetrate even deeper. Minor symptoms, such as bleeding and bad breath, can evolve into more serious ones where gums separate from the teeth, leading to bone loss and even tooth loss.
Gum Surgery Procedures We Offer
Traditional gum surgery involves making small incisions into the gums and then removing the infected tissue. In some cases, treatment involves trimming away infected soft tissues and re-contouring the uneven bone. We then place small sutures to allow for proper healing as gums reattach to the tooth root.
Another gum surgery, osseous surgery or pocket reduction, cleans the infected area. During this treatment, our periodontist, Dr. Calvin Dang, accesses the area to remove bacteria, plaque, and calculus from the deep pockets around your teeth.
Our periodontist also smooths rough or porous areas on the root so gums can reattach properly to a clean surface. Once the area is cleaned and smoothed, the gums are secured back in place.
How Gum Surgery Benefits Your Oral Health
If our periodontist recommends gum surgery, it is because the procedure offers numerous benefits:
- Eliminates existing bacteria to kill the infection
- Stops the decaying process
- Prevents further damage caused by gum disease
- Helps restore your healthy smile
We understand that the idea of gum surgery can cause anxiety for many patients. At CDIC, we always have your comfort at the top of our minds, and our amazing dental team will do everything to ensure the most stress-free experience possible.
If you think you can benefit from greater relaxation, we also offer nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas and IV sedation dentistry for your peace of mind.
Benefits of Laser Gum Surgery
Eliminating periodontal disease involves removing the infection and closing the pockets between gums and teeth. Laser gum surgery is a less invasive, more comfortable alternative to traditional gum surgery.
Laser gum surgery speeds recovery by encouraging actual tissue regeneration with no cutting, no stitches, and no pain. This breakthrough gum disease treatment not only eradicates the infection but also allows healthy gum fibers to reattach to the tooth root.
There are numerous benefits to laser gum surgery, including:
- More comfortable procedure
- Less time than traditional surgery
- The most efficient way to remove infection
- Better precision and less damage to healthy tissue
- No scalpels or sutures
- Fewer follow-up visits
- Faster healing
- Longer-lasting results
Laser gum surgery is a great choice for patients who experience anxiety or need to return to work as soon as possible. Also, laser gum surgery costs about the same as conventional surgery.
What's Involved with Laser Gum Surgery
Laser gum surgery is so gentle that it only requires a little local anesthetic to ensure patient comfort, and the recovery period is often less than 24 hours. This treatment was specifically designed to meet the growing need for pain-free dentistry.
Our periodontist can treat your entire mouth in just one appointment that lasts about two hours. Follow-up treatment involves only two appointments, compared to the four-plus for traditional surgery.
Schedule an Evaluation with Our Periodontist
If you have ongoing problems with gum disease and want to learn more about options like traditional and laser gum surgery, we can help you. Please call the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center to schedule an appointment with our skilled, experienced periodontist to see how we can help you.
We have four convenient dental offices in Orange County to serve you. You can reach our Huntington Beach office (714) 968-2527, our Brea office (714) 257-0330, or our Placentia office (714) 577-9070. If you are in the Cypress area, please call our Cypress Smiles Dentistry office at (714) 261-2211.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gum disease affects millions, and the problem is that most don’t even know they have it until much of the damage is already done. Periodontitis or advanced gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss and also has been linked to heart disease.
At CDIC, we offer laser gum surgery or LANAP, a breakthrough procedure and a more comfortable, efficient alternative to traditional surgery.
Why We Recommend Laser Gum Surgery
Advanced gum disease causes gums to pull away from teeth and form pockets. Bacteria penetrate deeper into the pockets, which can lead to bone loss and even tooth loss.
To eliminate periodontal disease, we must remove the infection and close up the pockets. Laser gum surgery at our dental office is performed using patient-friendly LANAP, which stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure.
Benefits of Laser Gum Surgery
Laser gum surgery detoxifies the mouth by removing the harmful bacteria causing the infection with no cutting, no stitches, and no pain. Since the procedure is so efficient, our periodontist typically treats the entire mouth during a single two-hour appointment.
Benefits of laser gum surgery include:
- A more comfortable procedure
- Shorter treatment times
- Better precision and less damage to healthy tissue
- No scalpels or sutures
- Fewer follow-up visits
- Faster healing
- Longer-lasting results
Schedule an Appointment with Us
If you suspect you have gum disease, it is always best to seek treatment as soon as possible. With early intervention, we can help prevent it from progressing and ruining your oral health.
Please call one of our four convenient dental offices in Orange County to schedule an appointment. In Huntington Beach, you can reach us at (714) 968-2527, in Brea at (714) 257-0330, and in Placentia at (714) 577-9070. If you live in Cypress, call Cypress Smiles Dentistry at (714) 761-2211.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Calvin Dang
Dr. Calvin Dang grew up in Southern California but moved to the Bay Area to attend the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry. Following his dental training, he completed a rigorous three-year postgraduate residency program in periodontics at UCSF, serving as Chief Resident.
During this specialty training, Dr. Dang also received his Master of Science (MS) degree. He is actively involved in many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Periodontology, the American Dental Association, and the Orange County Dental Society. Dr. Dang keeps up-to-date on many continuing educational classes to ...
Traditional and Laser Gum Surgery Technology
Laser Dentistry
Laser technology has been used for decades to improve the outcomes and efficiency of medical procedures. At the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center, we use laser dentistry to perform soft tissue treatments for our patients. Non-invasive laser dentistry benefits our patients because our dentists can perform procedures more efficiently with little to no bleeding and faster recovery times.
The laser dental procedures we provide are:
- Periodontal disease treatment — With dental lasers, we can do away with invasive “cut and stitch” gum surgery and long recovery times.
- Gum reshaping — Also called gum recontouring, dental lasers allow our dentists to help patients by eliminating “gummy smiles.”
- Crown lengthening — We use laser dentistry to reshape gum tissue and bone to promote healthy tooth structure and help with the placement of dental restorations.
- Remove oral growths — Dental lasers comfortably treat cold sores, canker sores, and fever blisters, and minimize the risk of future outbreaks.