LANAP Laser Therapy

LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure) is used to treat periodontal disease and save many teeth that were previously considered hopeless. It uses the world’s first digital dental laser--the PerioLase ® MVP-7 , which was specifically designed for treating periodontal disease. The PerioLase ® laser is used as part of Laser Periodontal Therapy™, to remove harmful bacteria and diseased tissue from the gum pocket by passing a laser light between gum and tooth. Patients don’t hear or feel it – except for a little warmth. LANAP promises the patient a pain-free method to zap away disease. The procedure’s method of eliminating germs from the gums is very similar to lifting ink from a paper. First, the laser uses heat to strip away the diseased gum. The laser only seeks out infected tissue, which is darker in color than healthy tissue, leaving healthy tissue in place. Then, the dentist uses the laser a second time to heat the area until a clot is formed, protecting the newly-lasered tissue by sealing it. This allows the body to heal naturally so that the gum pockets improve and the teeth become more stable.