Periodontal disease can be an incredibly damaging disease. While the infection starts in your gums, it can end up impacting vital organs if the infection travels into the bloodstream. There are many different causes of periodontal disease, but some of the factors include genetics, gender, stress, tobacco use, and poor oral hygiene.
As periodontal disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to treat by yourself. It is likely that patients will need to consult with their dentist to identify an intervention strategy to eliminate the periodontal disease.
While there are many different techniques that you may discuss with your dentist, LANAP is one of the options that your dentist may offer. There are many advantages of using LANAP laser treatment to help improve your dental hygiene.
LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. When you understand the acronym, it helps you understand what the actual procedure is designed to do. Once your dentist has diagnosed your periodontal disease, you can begin with the LANAP Procedure.
The LANAP approach utilizes light from a laser that specifically targets diseased and infected tissues. The laser penetrates beneath the visible surface and eradicates the underlying bacteria and infection. After the bacteria and diseased tissue have been destroyed, a deep cleaning must take place to remove it from the mouth. Finally, the laser is used to create a clot that allows a protective barrier for the healthy tissue as it heals. The gums are then pressed back against the teeth, without the use of sutures, and allowed to heal and restore the natural attachment.
After your procedure has been completed, your dentist will discuss some of the finer details with you. However, many patients want to know what they should expect in the days following their procedure.
Many patients experience a variety of symptoms, but commonly, light bleeding, swelling, and mild soreness are typical. If you experience discomfort or swelling, it is possible to use medication that has been prescribed by your dentist, or an over the counter pain medication. Many patients find that simply using ice packs is enough to alleviate the pain.
Your doctor may prescribe pain medication, and it is important to take that prescription as directed. Additionally, you will be prescribed an antibiotic to ensure that no infection can affect the work that has just been completed.
For the first three days following your procedure, you will need to adhere to a liquid diet. For the following four days, you can graduate to foods that are soft and mushy. This includes foods like scrambled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ICE CREAM!
As you eat and begin to eat more solid foods, you should also try to chew foods on the side of your mouth that was not treated. This allows the gums to better heal without having the interference of foods, or the stress of chewing placed on the teeth.
Your dentist will help you understand how you should change your dental routine, but typically, you should not brush or floss the targeted area for 14 days. For this reason, it is very important to keep the rest of your mouth clean. Areas that were not treated can resume normal brushing and flossing after the procedure.
One of the most important pieces of advice is to follow up with your dental appointments. Many patients feel that if things are feeling okay that they can miss appointments. However, as your mouth heals, it is important to catch any issues as soon as they appear so that you don’t undermine the entire process. Schedule and keep all your follow up appointments.
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