Pennsylvania Gum Specialist Dr. Stephen Brown Harnesses the Power of the Millennium Dental Laser in His Philadelphia Periodontal Practice

The PerioLase® from Millennium Dental Technologies is the first and only laser designed with the needs of the periodontal patient in mind. This Nd:YAG laser is equipped with all the unique features necessary to perform Laser Periodontal Therapy™. It has a full complement of new soft tissue laser treatment options. Manufactured by Millennium Dental Technologies, the PerioLase® is not only the first laser in dentistry to utilize digital technology for enhanced performance and reliability, but is also built on the world’s most widely used dental laser platform. While early dental lasers were very limited in what they could do, The PerioLase® can now be used effectively to reach down into the pockets to help eliminate inflamed tissue and destroy pathogenic bacteria.

The FDA-Approved and patented LANAP laser therapy is a pocket reduction procedure that reduces pockets by establishing a new connective tissue attachment to the tooth at a coronal level. The LANAP procedure provides the ideal situation in which new bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament can form on root surfaces that were diseased before treatment began. This is a minimally invasive periodontal procedure like no other. In most instances, treatment with the LANAP laser eliminates the need for conventional cut and suture periodontal surgery, also referred to as flap and osseous surgery.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004, this pulsing laser can distinguish between healthy and diseased gums by color. The infected tissue, which has a darker pigment than healthy tissue,and bacteria are “zapped” away by the laser, leaving behind only healthy gum tissue. LANAP then helps connective tissue and bone form between the gums and teeth, according to a study in the December 2007 issue of the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. The laser’s heat also seals the gums with a “thermal blood clot” which creates a physical barrier, blocking any bacteria or tissue that could recreate a gum pocket.

For patients who are concerned about traditional cut and suture surgery to treat periodontal disease, the new laser treatment can be a life-changing event! Teeth can be saved, natural smiles can be preserved and some potentially life-threatening systemic effects of bacteria from gum disease left untreated can be avoided. Laser treatment gives patients a new option.

If you would like to find out more about using laser therapy to treat periodontal disease and to save your teeth and smile, please call Dr. I. Stephen Brown at The Perio Group (215)735-3660 or submit your questions online, utilizing one of the contact forms distributed throughout our website at www.theperiogroup.com.




Back to Top

Philadelphia Periodontist Talks About How Patients Benefit From LANAP Laser Therapy

Laser surgery provides another option for patients who have already undergone a scaling and root planing procedure without sufficient results. Normally traditional blade surgery would be indicated for such a patient; however, with the addition of the PerioLase® to our treatment armamentarium, patients have available to them a realistic alternative with comparable results. The benefits of LANAP™ include less pain, less gum recession, decreased bleeding, swelling and root sensitivity, and maybe the most important benefit, less downtime after treatment. An added benefit of laser surgery is the antibacterial effect that helps discinfect the periodontal pockets.

Laser treatment is also beneficial for patients who have medical problems requiring medications such as aspirin, Plavix, and Coumadin. Since LANAP® causes much less bleeding than traditional surgeries; patients do not have to discontinue using these life-saving medications prior to surgery. Patients with advanced periodontal disease who take bisphosphonate medications such as Fosamax can avoid having extractions because even teeth with a poor prognosis can often be saved with this life-changing procedure. This is especially important because studies have shown that Fosamax can lead to osteonecrosis of the jaw following tooth extraction.

For more information about how Philadelphia Dental Patients can benefit from LANAP Laser Therapy, contact Dr. I. Stephen Brown at The Perio Group 215.735.3660 or visit the "Laser Alternative" page of The Perio Group Website.

Successful Laser Periodontal Treatment in Seven Steps

The Millenuim PerioLase's fiber optic tip not only kills bacteria in the periodontal pockets, but also eradicates unhealthy tissue, leaving the healthy tissue relatively unaffected. Ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments are then used to remove the calculus deposits that were loosened during the initial laser pass. A different setting is then applied to the laser before making another pass in order to kill bacteria in the bottom of the pockets and on the bone. Establishment of a sticky fibrin clot is then initiated by the laser in order to seal the pockets and allow regeneration of bone and other soft tissue.

The Laser Treatment Procedure can be broken down into seven steps:

1. An evaluation is done in order to measure the depths of periodontal pockets with a probe.
2. Bacteria and unhealthy tissue are removed with the initial pass of the laser.
3. Root surface calculus is removed with the help of an ultrasonic scaler and special hand instruments.
4. Blood clot formation in the pocket and seals off the pocket and prevents the epithelium from growing back into the pockets without the use of a barrier membrane.
5. With the root surfaces now clean and the pocket sealed, the soft tissue and bone begin the reattachment process.
6. A bite adjustment is completed to prevent any bite trauma from occuring.
7. With the procedure complete, new bone growth and connective tissue attachment occur.

Direct your Laser Periodontal Treatment questions to Philadelphia Periodontist and Dental Implant Specialist Dr. I. Stephen Brown at The Perio Group 215.735.3660 or http://www.theperiogroup.com/.

Clinical Advantages of Laser Periodontal Therapy

The newest technology available for periodontal care is the Nd:YAG Millenium Periolase®. This is the latest generation of the Nd:YAG laser and it's designed specifically to treat periodontal disease using LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure). Instead of cutting away tissue, we're now able to regenerate soft tissue and bone in most cases by using the laser technology to encourage the body to heal itself naturally.

The LANAP procedure is patented and FDA-approved. The LANAP laser therapy works by providing an environment in which new bone and periodontal ligament can form on previously diseased root surfaces. The LANAP procedure is minimally invasive and in most cases eliminates the need for traditional blade surgery.

Some of the clinical advantages of the Periolase® include:

• Precision
• Deeper penetration - kills bacteria beyond the tip up to 1.5mm into dentin tubules
• Selective photo-thermal ablation of red inflamed tissue
• Bactericidal especially to black pigmented bacteria
• Effects calculus so it is easier to remove
• Neutralizes endotoxins in root and tissue
• Biostimulation of stem cells in the periodontal ligament to promote regeneration
• Hemostasis
• Less recession
• Much less sensitivity
• Quicker overall healing time
• Minimal postoperative discomfort by reducing prostaglandins
• Reduced stress for doctor, staff and patient

Additionally, the laser therapy is beneficial to patients because LANAP patients generally experience significantly less pain, recession, bleeding, root sensitivity, swelling and healing time than patients who have had more invasive traditional periodontal surgery.

If you have questions regarding this breakthrough periodontal treatment, call Philadelphia Periodontist, Dr. I. Stephen Brown at 215.735.3660 or submit your questions online at http://www.theperiogroup.com/gum_disease_philadelphia/index.html.

Philadelphia Periodontist Treats Gum Disease With a Laser Instead of a Scalpel

Dr. I. Stephen Brown, periodontist and dental implant specialist now treats gum disease with a laser in his Philadelphia Dental Practice. Using LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure), an FDA cleared and patented laser procedure, Dr. Brown is able to treat gum disease in a way that greatly reduces the pain and recovery time associated with more traditional forms of gum disease treatment.

The laser is valuable tool in Dr. Brown's treatment armamentarium which allows patients to undergo therapy for periodontal disease Philadelphia with less pain, less bleeding, less swelling, less recovery time and less tissue removal than with traditional therapies. Periodontal patients in Camden, NJ area can now benefit from the world's first digital dental laser which was specifically designed to remove harmful bacteria and diseased tissue from the gum pockets of periodontal patients. This procedure has been proven to save teeth that were once considered hopeless.

If you have been told that you have gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, it is important for you to know that you have an infection that destroys the gum and eventually the supporting bone around your teeth. If left untreated, this infection can cause tooth loss and may lead to systemic health issues. Periodontal disease should not be left untreated. You should also know that now, more than ever before, you have treatment options that are much less invasive than traditional therapies. If you would like to learn more about laser periodontal treatment, contact Philadelphia Periodontist Dr. I. Stephen Brown at the Perio Group 215.735.3660.