If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, you might need laser gum therapy. This is a type of treatment that is done to gums suffering from advanced gum disease. Here are some things to know about laser gum therapy.

Gum Therapy is Done Before Scaling and Root Planing

One thing you should know about laser gum therapy, is that with severe periodontal disease, it is going to be one of the first treatments you get. It is often done before getting scaling and root planning done. This is the procedure of removing plaque and tartar from the teeth, below the gumline, and the roots of the teeth. Before this can be done, laser gum therapy helps to remove the inflamed and infected gum tissue. This is removed from the root of the tooth in order to make room for removing all of the plaque that has built up there. After this has been accomplished, the roots and gums will then regenerate.

It is Necessary for Advanced Gum Disease

Laser gum therapy is not often something that everyone needs to have performed, but is for people with advanced gum disease. Periodontitis affects the health of the gums and teeth, often causing deterioration of the tooth bone and loss of teeth. To prevent this from happening, the dentist tries to remove the excess plaque as much as possible. You know you have advanced gum disease when your gums bleed easily and often, you are starting to have gums that pull away from the teeth, your teeth seem longer or loose, and you have bad breath that doesn't go away with brushing, mouthwash, or mints. Your dentist can also perform X-rays to look for signs of advanced periodontal disease.

There Are Minimal Risks

It is also important to know that this is a safe, routine procedure for the dentist to perform. In fact, it is often safer than using other methods to get rid of that gum tissue. Lasers help the periodontist quickly and easily get rid of infected tissue so that you can start healing your gums. With the laser, you only need a local anesthetic. The lasers will target the area of gums that need to be removed. It also has limited risks of blood clotting since there is less bleeding overall with this type of procedure. You may also notice that the recovery time is easier than with other dental procedures.

For more information, talk to a company like The Happy Tooth Kurri Kurri.