Long Island Periodontist Reveals The Secret To Healthy Gums Without Surgery
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Long Island Periodontist David Scharf reveals the SECRET to treating gum disease without a scalpel. Learn how to have healthy gums without surgery. Visit Dr. Scharf on the web at http://DrScharf.com
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Long Island Periodontist Reveals The Secret To Healthy Gums Without Surgery
- 1. Discover the … Secrets of Treating Gum Disease Without a Scalpel Healthy Gums Without Surgery By Long Island Periodontist David R. Scharf,DMD
- 13. Laser Periodontal Therapy The laser kills the bacteria and removes diseased tissue. The laser leaves healthy tissue. Stubborn tartar is removed and the pocket is reduced.
- 15. How the Laser Treats Gum Disease A B C D E F G Dr. David Scharf Long Island’s First Choice for Dental Implants and Healthy Gums without Surgery Voted Best Dentist 2010 by Long Island Press (631)661-6633
- 16. Got questions you’d like answered?
Editor's Notes
- Discover the Secrets of Treating Gum Disease Without a Scalpel
- By watching this short video you will know more about the dangers of leaving gum disease untreated. Understand the pros and cons of all treatment options. Learn about the FDA-approved option Laser Periodontal Therapy to treat gum disease without a scalpel.
- Did you know... The quality of your smile has a more direct effect on your personal and business relationships than any other part of your appearance? In fact, 88% of all people in North America say they always remember someone with an especially attractive smile. An especially unattractive smile can seriously hurt a person’s chances for financial success. Perhaps that’s why more than half of the adults in America wish they could change their smile. Some people want to fix a chip, or straighten crooked teeth. Still others want a brighter whiter smile to reverse years of yellowing. There is a good reason for this. You see… Your smile can make or break you!
- Now imagine for a moment that you lose your teeth. Gum disease is the No. 1 reason for tooth loss in adults. This disease is silent many times until it is too late. Sure, sometimes there are annoying symptoms like bad breath or bleeding gums. But many times these symptoms are absent and yet the disease rages on. Think for a moment how it would affect you to lose some or all of your teeth. How would others perceive you when you smile and they see gaps? (Even the ones in the back you think no one sees but they do!!) How would it impact you socially to have bad breath from gum disease or to socialize with a loose clacking denture? How would you have to limit the foods you eat? Can you even imagine the discomfort you would have to endure if you had to wear a denture? Finally, how much money would you throw away year after year on having ill fitting dentures relined and remade to be just barely tolerable? People with gum disease have questions and need answers. They need to understand what treatment options are available and the pros and cons of each. No one wants gum surgery but at the same time no one wants to lose their teeth. For years this was the decision people faced. That’s why we are on a mission to get the word out about laser periodontal therapy and to help people understand if this is an option they should consider.
- There are 3 dangers to leaving gum disease untreated that you must know about... Danger #1: Untreated gum disease may shorten your life. Living a long vital life, enjoying retirement, seeing your children and grandchildren grow up. These are some things everyone looks forward to. Don’t let untreated gum disease rob you of these pleasures or rob your loved ones of your presence. Untreated gum disease has been associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, lung disease, atherosclerosis, cancer of the pancreas and kidney, leukemia, diabetes and possibly Alzheimer’s! Every day that the toxins of gum disease flow through your veins is another day you are possibly shortening your life.
- Danger #2: Gum Disease destroys the bones of your jaw and ages your face. Left untreated, gum disease can result in the loss of teeth. Once the teeth are lost, the jaw bone can waste away as there is nothing to stimulate the bone. Removable dentures may only accelerate this process. Deepened creases around the mouth, the turning in of the lips, a prominent chin that can almost touch the neck, a permanent “scowl”, deepened wrinkles and looking older than you are… are all classic signs of tooth loss.
- Danger #3: There’s a psychological impact of tooth loss. The psychological effects of tooth loss are significant. 88% of denture wearers report difficulty with speech and 66% are aware of movement of their dentures . Sadness or depression associated with the tooth loss, lowered self-confidence, poor self-image, disliking one’s appearance, holding one’s hands over the mouth out of fear your dentures will fly out, hiding the secret of having tooth loss, and decreasing or avoiding social situations are all commonly reported by denture wearers. People with dentures report it affects their social and romantic lives.
- Amazingly, for years, people would lose their teeth to gum disease rather than have gum surgery. Now more and more people are choosing to utilize the FDA-approved Laser Periodontal Therapy to treat their gum disease and avoid cut and stitch gum surgery. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too.
- Let’s look at the pros and cons of different methods of treating gum disease There are various methods of treating gum disease. Some are more effective in shallow pockets (4-5mm) while others are indicated in deeper pockets. Common to all methods is that nothing is 100% effective. All methods require that people thoroughly clean their teeth every day and have dental cleanings at regular intervals (usually every 3-6 months as determined by your dentist.) Scaling and Root Planing The roots of the teeth are scraped with curettes and ultrasonic devices to reduce the bacteria and tartar from the roots. You can expect a 1mm pocket reduction, sometimes up to 2mm. Very inflamed tissue tends to respond better than fibrotic tissue. It usually requires 1-2 visits over a week or so. Pros It is conservative. Minimal cost and time are involved. It is most effective when pockets are in the 4-5mm range. It is an excellent choice for early periodontitis. Cons It is dependent on the skill of the therapist. One can expect recession of 1-2mm in inflamed tissue. It does not predictably reduce pockets over 5mm.
- Local Drug Delivery Time release antibiotic is placed into pockets to reduce bacteria. It is done as adjunct to root planing or in place of root planning. Pros It has not shown to be harmful or to lead to antibiotic resistance. It is simple to use; takes only minutes to apply. Cons There’s no data to show long-term effectiveness. Many times, it does not result in pocket depth reduction greater than scaling and root planing alone. It can be costly. It is not practical to treat multiple sites in one mouth. No bone regeneration occurs.
- Perioscopy Perioscopy uses a fiber optic cable and camera to see under the gum. The root’s surface is magnified 48 times. This provides excellent ability to see the root’s surface and to remove plaque and tartar. Pros It is conservative. There’s excellent ability to clean root. Excellent pocket reduction on single rooted teeth. Cons It is time consuming. A single tooth can take over one hour. There’s unpredictable pocket reduction on molars. There is no bone regeneration. There can be a lot of recession and root sensitivity. Perioscopy is not practical for a mouthful of pockets.
- Periodontal Flap Surgery The gums are lifted off the tooth and bone to expose the root. This allows the surgeon to visualize the root, clean it and where possible regenerate or reshape the bone. Pros There’s excellent access to clean the root and reduce pockets. It can offer bone regeneration or bone can be reshaped to reduce pockets. Numerous studies demonstrate its effectiveness when followed with proper maintenance. It is practical for treating multiple teeth. Cons Teeth often have recession and cold sensitivity after surgery. Shrinkage of the gum between the teeth can lead to food getting caught between teeth. There are dietary limitations while healing. Many people find the thought of having gum surgery both highly invasive and frightening.
- Let’s take a look at a noninvasive FDA-approved option. Laser Periodontal Therapy. A laser light is used to kill bacteria in the pockets and remove diseased tissue while leaving healthy tissue untouched. Tartar is removed from the roots. The laser is used to form a reconnection between the root and the gum to reduce the pocket.
- Let’s consider the pros and cons of Laser Periodontal Therapy. Pros The gums not lifted off the bone, so no scalpels or stitches are needed. It is gentle, conservative and minimally invasive. It is an excellent choice for treating deep pockets. Involves state-of-the-art therapy. This is an FDA approved option to treat gum disease. One can regrow lost bone. Cons There are some dietary restrictions during healing phase. All teeth receive laser treatment to kill the harmful bacteria that can contribute to relapse. Even teeth with shallow pockets may harbor harmful bacteria and need to be disinfected. Bite needs to be adjusted to eliminate harmful forces that inhibit new bone growth. People who grind their teeth may need to wear a night guard to reduce excess strain on the teeth and wake up with relaxed jaw muscles. Disclaimer: Please note these pros and cons are meant to be a general overview only and are not intended to provide treatment recommendation to any specific person. Treatment decisions should be made between a patient and their dentist.
- Here’s how the magic of the laser can treat gum disease? Laser Periodontal Therapy harnesses the gentle but effective power of laser light to treat gum disease. First the area to be treated is gently numbed with a local anesthetic. Let’s take a quick look at the steps involved. A: Once numb, the pocket depth is accurately measured. B: Laser light selectively removes the diseased and infected tissue from the inside of the pocket. The laser is so precise that it does not affect the healthy tissue. The laser light also kills the bacteria in the pocket. C: Special scalers are used to remove the tartar. The tartar has been loosened by the laser light so it comes off more easily than during traditional scaling. D: Laser light is again used, but at a different setting. This pass with the laser makes a firm clot that connects the gum to the root surface forming a fibrin clot. E: The tissue is pressed against the root surface and the fibrin clot forms at the top of the gum. F: The bite is adjusted so that the teeth do not traumatize each other when you chew. A night guard is also used to take away the excessive forces from the teeth and allow the optimal healing. We’ll give you special dietary recommendations to optimize the results. The procedure is fast. Most times it takes just 2 2-hour sessions with the laser. The procedure is also comfortable. Most people take just a Tylenol or Advil afterwards. The procedure works. Laser Periodontal Therapy or LANAP is the only FDA-approved procedure for treating gum disease. Histological studies prove that LANAP can regrow new bone and new attachment to the teeth.
- Got questions you’d like answered? Let’s begin.
- Do I need a referral from my dentist or physician to see you? Many patients choose us on their own. They have heard of him through word of mouth from a friend, family member or colleague. Many of our patients find out about us from the internet. We welcome all new patients. You don’t have to be referred by a dentist or physician.
- What is Periodontal Disease? It’s a disease of the gums. It starts out as plaque, an opaque film on the teeth that hardens to form calculus or tartar. As tartar accumulates, it harbors bacteria, which attacks the soft tissue around the gums. This early stage of gum disease is called Gingivitis. Symptoms include red swollen gums, bleeding, bad breath and, sometimes, an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Untreated, Gingivitis becomes Periodontitis. At this severe stage, bacteria destroy both the gums and the supporting bone structures. Pockets form where teeth are separated from the gums and surrounding bones. Left untreated, Periodontitis results in tooth loss.
- What's the best way to treat Periodontal Disease? Laser Periodontal Therapy, a patented new non-surgical laser alternative to gum surgery, is a less painful, less traumatic way to treat periodontal disease at any stage. It is ideal for patients who want conservative gum disease treatment.
- What's different about Laser Periodontal Therapy? Laser Periodontal Therapy uses a special kind of laser called the PerioLase, invented by two dentists in Cerritos, California. Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy spent years developing a better way to treat gum disease. The laser fiber, which is only about as wide as a couple of human hairs, is inserted between the gum tissue and your tooth, where it painlessly removes the noxious elements that cause gum disease.
- How many treatments will I need? Laser Periodontal Therapy doesn't take much time at all -- just two two-hour sessions versus eight to ten one-hour sessions with surgery. You don't have to worry about bleeding, stitches or post-treatment infection, because your gums haven't been cut.
- What about recovery - will I be in pain or need to follow a special routine? The sense of recovery is immediate, due to the laser’s ability to seal blood vessels, lymphatics and nerve endings. Of course, your tissue needs time to recover, regenerate and heal over the course of time, but after Laser Periodontal Therapy™, you can drive your car, go back to work, or do anything else you like.
- I can see how good Laser Periodontal Therapy is. But is it very expensive and will my insurance cover it? The good news is Laser Periodontal Therapy is actually less expensive--by about 20%--than periodontal surgery. We will give you an accurate treatment estimate once we examine you. No treatment will begin until you know the fee and if it can fit into your budget. There is no special code for our therapy, so if your insurance company will reimburse for conventional surgery, they should reimburse for Laser Periodontal Therapy.
- My doctor said he’d have to pull my teeth because they are so loose. I don’t want to do that. Can you help? We have been able to save a lot of teeth that other dentists wanted to extract. We’ve had great success in saving teeth that were to be extracted. There is nothing better than your own natural teeth. We can schedule a consultation for you.
- I had x-rays a while ago. Can’t you look at those? That depends on their age and quality. The conditions of your mouth change rapidly, and in order to accurately diagnose you, we will need current high-quality x-rays. We will only take the minimum necessary and only after you are examined to see exactly what is necessary.
- How will I feel after the laser surgery? You may experience some ache, throbbing or soreness. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory to take care of any discomfort you may experience.
- How many appointments will I need? Usually two treatment visits and a couple of post-operative visits. The doctor will then prescribe visits with a hygienist every three months to keep up what he has started.
- Do you offer financing? Yes. We offer financing for treatment. Many patients are surprised to know they can make a very low monthly payment.
- How do I know this will work? I had surgery 4 years ago, and I now need it again. The doctor can answer all of your treatment questions. LANAP gives better, longer-lasting results than conventional surgery. In fact, some doctors report 98% of LANAP-treated patients remain stable after five years, while only 5% remain stable after surgery. We will examine your mouth thoroughly to determine if the laser is right for you. You can meet the doctor and staff and have a demonstration of the laser performed for you. He will discuss all your treatment options as well as the pros and cons of each option so that you can make the decision that you feel is right for you. If you just want to see the laser without an examination, just call and ask for an appointment for a “Laser Meet and Greet.”
- Here’s one of our many amazing success stories. Jim had avoided going to the dentist for years. Partly out of fear and partly because of financial reasons. He had let his oral health decline. Over the years he started to notice some troubling signs. There was bleeding when he brushed his teeth, his bite was shifting and spaces opened between his teeth. He noticed his gums receding too. As he noticed these signs he only began to worry more and avoid the dentist even more strongly. He had heard horror stories about gum surgery and he stayed away from the dentist because he thought he would need surgery. The final straw came when his new girlfriend told him that she loved him, but that he really needed to do something about his breath. One day he was surfing the Internet and came across Laser Periodontal Therapy. He was intrigued by the idea of treating his disease without having to have cut and stitch gum surgery and decided to schedule a consultation to find out more. Jim was thrilled to learn that his disease could be treated with the laser, that he could keep his teeth, and that it was affordable. He opted to have his whole mouth treated in one session. He could not believe that over 20 years of dental neglect was treated in one visit and that he only took a couple of Advil afterwards. Jim keeps up his daily oral hygiene and has his teeth cleaned every three months. He says that the best part of having healthy gums is the security of knowing he is healthy and being rid of that nagging feeling and worry he had when his gums were diseased. Photo, name and details have been changed to protect patient privacy.
- Call today to schedule an appointment to see if Laser Periodontal Therapy is right for you. Call us at: 631-661-6633 You can also visit us on the Web: www.LongIslandLaserPerio.com David Scharf, DMD PC 98 East Main Street Babylon, NY 11702