How Dr. Scharf a periodontist on Long Island uses a lasser to treat gum disease

For years the only way to treat advanced gum disease on Long Island has been with cut and stitch gum surgery. Laser technology is changing all that. Now the same advances in lasers that have revolutionized medicine are changing the treatment of gum disease.

The laser procedure for treating gum disease on Long Island is called LANAP. This is an acronym for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. There are many different types of lasers commercially available. Only the Nd:YAG laser from Millennium dental technologies can perform LANAP. The Nd:YAG wavelength of light has the unique properties to make it well suited for the treatment of Long Island periodontist disease.

In the LANAP treatment protocol, the first step is a pass of the laser into the pocket. This pass removes the diseased tissue while leaving the healthy tissue intact. The laser light is very effective at killing the harmful bacteria that causes gum disease. A major benefit of the laser it its ability to exert an effect beyond the tip of the laser. As the laser light penetrates into the tissue and the tooth structure, it can kill bacteria that would be left behind using nonlaser methods of treatment.

The second step involves the use of specialized scaling instruments and medicated solutions to remove any tartar or calculus from the roots of the teeth. This step is essential for a good outcome.

Then there is a second pass of the laser that kills any remaining bacteria and reconnects the gum tissue back to the tooth. Finally the bit is checked to make sure that there are no harmful biting forces that may inhibit healing.
LANAP is such a special procedure that is both FDA approved and it has been patented. Only dentist that have been trained by Millennium Dental Technologies are licensed to perform LANAP. Many dental laser companies claim that their laser can treat gum disease, but only the LANAP procedure has been proven to regrow bone that has been lost to gum disease. People considering laser gum treatment should be sure that they are getting LANAP using a Millennium laser. Manufacturers of other types of lasers such as a diode laser, or an Erbium laser may claim that that laser design can treat gum disease, but there is no FDA approval for the claim and no histological evidence for its effectiveness.

Dr. David Scharf was the first Long Island periodontist trained in LANAP. He is a Board Certified Periodontist and a Clinical Assistant professor in Periodontics at New York University. Dr. Scharf can be reached at (631)661-6633