GALLARDO & LAMAS | Periodontics & Implant Dentistry | Blog

Is LANAP less painful than traditional treatments for periodontal disease?

Dr. John Paul Gallardo — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:02:50 +0000

When comparing the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) to the most basic traditional treatment-osseous surgery or flap surgery-the answer is a resounding YES! This is because it is a minimally invasive treatment modaility that DOES NOT require incisions with a scalpel , DOES NOT require bone grafting and DOES NOT require stitches. Despite the conservative nature of the laser procedure, the results are just as good if not better in some cases.
The treatment can be performed with either IV conscious sedation anesthesia or with just local anesthesia using the very comfortable Wand anesthesia which is computer controlled to minimize discomfort during injections. Hope this helps.
Dr. John Paul Gallardo

Is LANAP ever combined with traditional surgery for treating periodontal disease?

Dr. John Paul Gallardo — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:54:25 +0000

This is the video testimonial of a patient with advanced periodontal disease who had all of his hopeless upper teeth removed and replaced during the same appointment with the all-on-4 dental implant protocol and had the lower teeth treated with the Periolase laser. Because it was performed with IV conscious sedation, all of the work was performed in one appointment and he returned to work the next day.

I’m in Cayman and need extensive work including implants, teeth removals and possibly bone grafting in my sinus. My concern is that I won’t be able to take that much time off to fly into Miami for long or extended treatment. My dental condition is very complicated. How many visits can this potentially take?

Dr. John Paul Gallardo — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:04:28 +0000

For many years now I have been seeing many patients from Cayman for treatments ranging from a single implant or gum disease to complete implant replacements for patients wanting to avoid or replace removable denture plates. Because of our proven sedation protocols as well as years of experience with up-to-date technology in treating the complex case, it is common for us to develop an appointment plan that provides “life changing” dentistry in as little as one surgical visit.

Some examples of this are the All-on-4 dental implant system in which a complete arch of fixed teeth can be possible at the end of the first appointment-the same day the implants are placed. The use of Alloderm grafting incredibly avoids the need to take gum grafts from the roof of the mouth and therefore allows many more teeth roots to be treated for recession in a single visit. Another is laser periodontal treatment or LANAPwhere the Millenium PerioLase Laser is used to treat even advanced gum disease requiring bone regeneration without the use of bone grafts, scalpels or sutures.

We are located 10-15 minutes from Miami International Airport and there are many hotels in the area that we could help you with. Hope this helps.

Dr. John Paul Gallardo

Does the laser procedure LANAP really grow back the bone after periodontal disease or is it just a deep cleaning where you only clean out the bacteria?

Dr. John Paul Gallardo — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:24:30 +0000

Bone loss before LANAP

Bone regenerated after LANAP

Hopefully these xrays of one of my cases will be “worth a thousand words”. If you look at the bottom tooth (second from left to right) you will noitice the notable difference in bone levels. This was achieved with the LANAP laser without stitches or grafting.

I’m interested in the LANAP procedure and was wondering if you do consultations so that I can learn more about how it works and whether or not it’s right for me.

Dr. John Paul Gallardo — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:02:57 +0000

Yes we do consultations for LANAP on a daily basis. Since we have a multidisciplinary approach to treating periodontal disease it is important to know about contributing factors to your tissue breakdown such as genetics, medical history,smoking, grinding teeth during sleep. etc. We would begin with a dental history discussion with either myself or Dr Lamas. This allows us to understand more about what has led up to your decision to consider LANAP. Many patients are fearful of gum surgery so we compare and contrast traditional periodontal surgery with LANAP during the treatment conference appointment. You would then be escorted to the examination room where we will take your medical history, your blood pressure and perform a comprehensive periodontal exam including intra-oral photos, bacterial testing and necessary films. At that point we would know whether LANAP is a realistic consideration for you. After careful study of your case, a detailed appointment plan would then be formulated and presented at a subsequent treatment conference visit. Despite our many years of experience, we find it very valuable for our patients to understand existing conditions, risks of delaying or not having treatment and have us explain treatment alternatives as well as answer any questions from you, loved ones or even your current dentist.