Tips To Healing After Laser Surgery

Laser surgery can help restore balance to your smile and to your mouth.  Not only does healing take less time then traditional periodontal surgery, it is not as painful. Traditional periodontal surgery requires the periodontist to cut back the gums and scrape out the bacteria from between the gum tissue and the teeth. Each quadrant (divide the mouth into four equal parts) is done a section at a time and then the healing begins. But when you use a laser for the surgery, the healing process begins almost immediately.

Fine hairs on the laser allow the laser to penetrate between the gum and the teeth.

There are no sutures and no cutting is necessary. All of the cleaning and healing can be done without the required down time. While you want to be careful about brushing right after surgery, after it heals you’ll want to go back to a regular brushing and flossing routine. “For a few weeks after surgery,” Dr. Rice recommends, “use a very soft-bristled toothbrush.” You should brush in gentle strokes around the gums until they are clean.

Establish healthy routines after LANAP laser surgery. It is easy to go back to our old ways. But if you want to keep that winning and healthy smile, your brushing and flossing routine needs to be completed on a regular basis. The only way to keep decay from coming back and attacking your body again is utilizing a soft-bristled brush to remove the food from the surface of your teeth and floss to remove food from between the teeth.

If you struggle with periodontal disease contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

Recovery From Gum Graft Surgery

Gum graft surgery may be recommended if you have gum recession that is impacting the look of your smile or is causing you tooth sensitivity. There are three most often used procedures, one of which includes your own tissue to be removed in order to add it to the area around the tooth. "Some people do not have their own tissue removed, they have tissue from a tissue bank," Dr. Denine Rice. No matter which choice you make, you are sure to have your smile back shortly after your procedure.

Once the procedure is completed and you are sutured, you’ll be able to leave the office and, depending on the amount of pain and medication used during the procedure, go on with your day. However, if you were given a mild sedative to help you relax, you will need to have a friend drive you home. 

Once you get home, before you eat, drink or brush you will want to review the instructions given to you by your dentist. You may be restricted to only consume certain foods, especially the first few hours after the surgery. You will not be able to brush and floss the area until after the entire area is healed.

Risk of infection can be higher during the healing time because you are not able to brush and floss the particular area. However, there is a special mouthwash that you can rinse with in order to control the level of bacteria during this time.

Flap Procedure For Periodontal Disease

This procedure used to be recommended when the “periodontal pockets” were too deep and the disease had progressed beyond gingivitis. Periodontal disease progresses when bacteria and plaque build up between the teeth and the gum line. The pocket depth increases and bacteria can begin to attack the root if not taken care of. More severe periodontal surgery methods may become necessary at this point in order to protect the teeth, gums and roots of the teeth.

Flap procedure requires your periodontist to make an incision at the gum line. Once the incision is made they will pull back the gum and scrape out the area that is infected. Once the area is cleaned out they will put the gum back, suture the area and apply a dressing to protect the area. This procedure takes a significant amount of time and can be somewhat uncomfortable afterwards. The amount of time that it will take to complete this procedure depends on how many infected areas you have. This procedure allows the periodontist to have direct contact with the roots of the teeth and below the gum line.

A topical agent may be used by in order to clean up the area and to prevent further infection. It will be placed directly on the inside of the gum before the gum is sutured back in place. Once the procedure is completed you may experience some discomfort, swelling and bleeding.

Periodontist Dr. Rice and her team recommend LANAP surgery instead of this type of surgery because it is not as painful, the recovery time is less and there are no sutures required.

The LANAP Protocol

The LANAP Protocol is a surgical therapy designed for the treatment of periodontitis through the process of regeneration, instead of resection and it is the only FDA approved laser treatment for periodontitis or gum disease.

During LANAP surgery, a dental laser is used by a trained and certified Periodontist to treat a periodontal pocket, the area between the tissue and the tooth. This allows the specialist to selectively remove diseased tissue from the infected pocket, and encourages more rapid healing and regeneration.

 

Prior to this procedure, it was believed the only way to periodontal healing would be through the use of guided tissue regeneration or by using bone grafting materials. Yet research has shown pocket reduction and improved bone density, all without gingival recession.

After the LANAP procedure, patients will generally realize a reduced pocket depth that is at least comparable to that which can be achieved by traditional surgery, but without the adverse recession that is most often seen. Patients will also experience reduced post-operative pain, swelling, bleeding and root sensitivity. Most of the time the only medication needed after treatment is ibuprofen.

It is believed that more than 80% of American adults suffer from gum disease, many of them never move forward with treatment. LANAP is an option to treat the disease in a much more acceptable way to patients, and with regular follow-up maintenance and improved home care, patients can realize a result that is resistant to future periodontal breakdown.

More reasons to see your periodontist today and see if you are a candidate for this revolutionary treatment!

 Denine Rice, DDS

Periodontal Surgery the LANAP Way, After-care Instructions

 

Laser Periodontal Therapy is a laser-based technique used for treating periodontal disease many times without using a scalpel or sutures.

“Previously for patients suffering with periodontal disease many times the treatment was almost as frightening as the disease. Now with advanced technology we can not only remove diseased tissue easily and effectively, we can also do it virtually painlessly,” says Dr. Denine Rice from her Riverside California Periodontal and Implant Surgery Practice.

If you choose or have chosen to have LANAP treatment, here is what you should know post-surgery:

1.     Do not be alarmed with any color changes or appearance of gum tissue. Gum tissue can turn gray, yellow, red, blue, or purple following the laser treatment.

2.     Do not apply excessive tongue or cheek pressure to the treated area.

3.     Do not be alarmed if you should experience light bleeding, slight swelling, soreness, tenderness or tooth sensitivity.

4.     If swelling does occur, gently place an ice pack on the outside of the face for 20 minutes each hour until you retire for the night the first day.

5.     Some oozing of blood may occur. Rinse your mouth gently with iced water and apply a wet tea bag to the general area.

6.     Call your surgeon’s office is you have prolonged or severe pain, excessive bleeding or an elevated or persistent temperature.

7.     Take any medication as directed.

8.     Reduce physical activity for several hours after surgery to maximize healing.

9.     Keep your mouth clean. This will help the healing process. Brush and floss ONLY untreated areas of your mouth. After 7-10 days you can brush and floss in the treated areas.

    10. Do not rinse your mouth the day of treatment. The day after you may spit and gently rinse using either Peridex, Perioguard or warm salt water.

Remember, it is critical for your periodontal success that you keep all follow-up appointments with your surgeon.