Information on LANAP Laser Dentistry

In most cases, we will schedule a complimentary consultation to explain how the laser works and give you a demonstration. Next, Dr Chellis will take X-rays and check your pocket depths to make a definitive diagnoses and determine the extent of the infection.

When you return for your first LANAP® treatment, you'll receive a local anesthetic to eliminate any possible discomfort. A general anesthetic isn't necessary, because LANAP® is much less traumatic than traditional surgery. A tiny laser fiber (about the thickness of three human hairs) is inserted between the tooth and the gum, and the infection is cleared away by removing only the diseased tissue.

Tartar, associated with inflamed and bleeding gums, is removed from the root surface of the tooth using an ultrasonic scaler and small instruments.

Then, laser light energy is again directed between the gum and tooth. The laser aids in reducing the bacteria associated with the disease, as well as stimulates your body's own existing stem cells to grow new root surface coating and new connective tissue attachment to the root surface. All of this is done without making any type of incision.

After removing the diseased tissue, the laser immediately cauterizes the wound. The result is that you experience little to no bleeding. An added benefit of the laser is its ability to seal the nerve endings. The entire process results in only minor discomfort afterward.

After the area is thoroughly cleaned, your own body can heal the area naturally.

The procedure is fast. It takes just two 3-hour sessions. Dr. Chellis will treat one half of your mouth at each session… and you'll probably feel good enough to go right back to work afterwards or the next day.

Benefits of LANAP Laser Dentistry:
Why is LANAP® better?

• Dramatically less traumatic yet highly effective alternative to cut and sew gum surgery.
• No cutting of the gum tissue with a scalpel and no stitches means an easy recovery with minimal bleeding.
• Preserves gum tissue instead of cutting it away.
• Reduces root exposure and sensitivity.
• Reduces infection.
• Teeth that are considered hopeless with conventional treatment can be saved.

LANAP® is about as easy as erasing a blackboard - there's no cutting and no suturing.

There's much less discomfort with LANAP®, LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPYTM than with standard surgery -- during and after the procedure.

It takes less time than traditional surgery. All it takes is two 3-hour visits with Dr. Chellis and three follow up visits. LANAP® gives better, longer-lasting results. In fact, 98% of LANAP® treated patients remain stable after five years, while only 5% reportedly remain stable after surgery.

There's less than 24 hour recovery period, so you won't lose time from work. In most cases, patients feel good enough to go back to work the same day or the next day.

Following traditional surgery, recovery can take between to 2-4 weeks during which patients can experience considerable pain and swelling, and the gum tissue levels are usually very different with more of your teeth showing (you become "long in the tooth") and have more spaces between the teeth. While this actually makes access easier to clean the teeth, most people dislike the aesthetic changes.

LANAP® is safe for patients with health concerns such as diabetes, HIV, hemophilia, or those taking medications such as Coumadin or Cyclosporin.

What's Different About LANAP®?

LANAP® uses a special kind of laser called the PerioLase®, invented by two dentists in Cerritos, California. The "Perio Lase®" is the ONLY FDA-APPROVED Laser for treating Periodontal Disease and it was developed by the Millennium Dental Technologies founders, Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy, who spent years developing a better way to treat gum disease.

In 1998 the procedure created by Dr. Gregg and Dr. McCarthy known as "LANAP® (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure)" became the first laser periodontal treatment ever to be granted a US patent.

In 2001 Millennium Dental Technologies received the first and only clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to market the PerioLase® MVP-7™ Laser as a device for laser curettage (removal of inflamed, diseased soft tissue in the periodontal pocket) and enamel caries removal.

What Can I Expect from LANAP?

LANAP® doesn't take much time at all -- just two 3-hour sessions versus eight to ten one+-hour sessions with traditional gum surgery. You don't have to worry about bleeding, stitches or post-treatment infection, because your gums haven't been cut.

What about recovery - will I be in pain or need to follow a special routine? The sense of recovery is immediate, due to the laser's ability to seal the blood vessels, lymphatics and nerve endings. Of course, your tissue needs time to recover, regenerate and heal over the course of time, and we will ask you to follow a soft diet for the first few weeks, but after LANAP®, you can drive your car, go back to work, or do anything else you like.

"I can see how good LANAP® is - but is it very expensive and will my insurance cover it?"

The good news is that LANAP® is actually less expensive — by about 20% — than traditional periodontal surgery, partially because initial scaling and root planning does not need to be done before surgery. Dr. Chellis will discuss fee estimates for your treatment prior to performing any procedures. We use the same ADA insurance reimbursement codes for laser therapy as for traditional cut and sew surgery, so if your insurance company will reimburse for conventional surgery, they will reimburse for LANAP®.