Tooth loss is among the most severe symptoms of poor oral health. Missing teeth make it difficult to chew food properly, limiting dietary choices which can compromise nutritional intake. Gaps in the teeth can cause speech difficulties like slurring or the inability to pronounce certain sounds. The loss of each tooth often induces shifting and misalignment of surrounding teeth, while the underlying jawbone loses structural density in the absence of tooth roots. In addition to compromising oral health, tooth loss creates unsightly gaps that keep people from smiling and takes a toll on their self-confidence.

Many Southwest Florida-area dental patients struggling with periodontal disease have heard that laser gum treatment can effectively treat the condition and prevent further damage to gum tissue and teeth. However, with concerns that this high-tech treatment may be cost-prohibitive, some patients are leery of asking their dentists whether laser gum therapy is a viable solution for their periodontal disease. Among the follow-up questions posed by those patients who do ask their dentists about the LANAP® protocol laser gum surgery is whether the treatment is “worth it?”

Patients with moderate to severe periodontal disease tend to dread the discomfort and pain associated with traditional treatment, whether scaling and root planing or more invasive procedures like gingival flap surgery and gum grafting. Such treatments are usually critical for halting the progression of gum disease to prevent further damage and potential tooth loss. However, there is another periodontal treatment you can turn to that effectively treats the underlying causes of the disease and promotes the regeneration of damaged tissues.