Laser Dentistry
San Carlos, CA
 Gum disease is caused by bacteria that attack your gums and teeth, leading to infection and inflammation. If left untreated, it can lead to a terrifying list of complications, including tooth loss and dangerous illnesses that can lead to death. Thorough care and treatment for it, therefore, is extremely vital to ensure your health. Previous treatment methods for advanced periodontal disease included invasive surgical procedures that could be quite uncomfortable, but we here at Frank Hsu, D.D.S. use lasers to help treat and manage gum disease in our patients with minimal downtime or discomfort.
What is Gum Disease?
Many people are unaware that they have gum disease, as the early stages of it are relatively painless and do not have very many symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, it can become painful and lead to many complications that can be quite dangerous if not immediately addressed.
For instance, the same bacteria that has been found inside plaque has been found inside lung cancer tumors. Women with severe gum disease have suffered from damage to their unborn child, and people who have untreated advanced gum disease are at a higher risk of respiratory disorders, heart attack, and stroke.
Early-stage gum disease, also known as "gingivitis" is curable if caught early. Once it advances to an advanced stage (also called "periodontitis" or "periodontal disease"), though, it cannot be cured. Instead, it must be treated and managed like a chronic illness. In the past, we would start with scaling and root planing to help remove all signs of the infection and build up of calculus (hardened plaque, the sticky residue made up of germs, that forms when you do not brush your teeth often enough). This would allow us to smooth down the surface of your tooth roots, making it harder for future plaque to build up. It would also help reduce the size of your gum pockets and help your gums reattach to your tooth roots.
Gum Disease Management with Laser Dentistry
In the past, we would have to perform invasive surgery on our patients with periodontal disease. We would cut into your gum tissue to help reduce your symptoms of periodontal disease. Now we can use lasers, making management of your periodontitis more comfortable and less painful. Our lasers give off a special type of light that kills the bacteria without needing to make incisions into your gum tissue. This light penetrates deeply under your gums, between your teeth, and into your gum pockets to remove and kill the bacteria. Your gums remain intact, and your downtime is minimized!
What are the Advantages of Laser Dentistry in Gum Disease Management?
The advantages of laser treatment for your periodontal disease cannot be overstated. When we can provide more comfortable treatment options with less pain and discomfort and downtime, it benefits you as well. While older methods were effective, people would want to avoid them due to the lingering discomfort of treatment. With the introduction of laser treatment for gum disease, our patient compliance has understandably gone up, as they no longer have to worry about invasive surgical procedures to treat their periodontitis!
Laser Dentistry has been approved by the FDA and has been researched thoroughly. We are very pleased with the results that this provides our patients and hold it in high regard for the treatment of gum disease. To learn more about the benefits of using lasers in modern dentistry, or to schedule an appointment at our office, please give us here at Frank Hsu, D.D.S. a call today at 650.262.1940!
|
