Laser Dentistry
At Schoen Family Dentistry, we constantly explore new ways to provide our patients with more effective dental treatment that provides increased comfort and shorter healing times. Laser dentistry is one of the modern dental advancements that provides measurable and valuable results for our patients.
We utilize both lasers for LANAP® (laser assisted new attachment procedure) and YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) for the treatment of soft tissue conditions without the need for traditional cutting-and-stitches surgery.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is an infection in your gums due to the buildup of tartar and bacteria at and beneath your gum line. Periodontal disease is a serious medical condition that can complicate other systemic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Periodontal disease occurs most often because of neglect and failure to maintain regular routine oral health exercises such as brushing, flossing, and routine professional dental cleanings. In its early stages, known as gingivitis, it may be a reversible condition, but as it progresses, professional treatment becomes necessary.
Depending on the severity of your condition, treatment ranging from specialized dental cleanings to laser gum treatments may offer solutions. When left untreated, it can result in tooth loss.
LANAP Dentistry 
LANAP is an FDA-approved patented treatment for gum disease that treats periodontitis (advanced gum disease). It focuses on gum tissue regeneration instead of surgical resectioning. LANAP works by using laser light energy to clean out the calculus (tartar) and infection from the surface of your roots and in between your gums and teeth.
Next, we use the laser to remove damaged tissue that cannot heal so that only healthy tissue remains, a process that speeds healing.
Finally, laser energy assists in sealing the periodontal pocket to keep out bacteria and food particles during the healing process.
Benefits of LANAP over traditional surgery include:
- Comfortable treatment
- Kills bacteria
- Removes only diseased tissue
- Faster healing time
- Less bleeding
- Closes periodontal pocket
YAG Laser Treatments
In addition to LANAP, laser dentistry can help us to successfully and comfortably perform a number of soft tissue procedures including gingival contouring, which addresses excessively gummy smiles and improves the aesthetics of many patients’ smiles. 
Dr. Schoen can also promote healing of cold sores, canker sores, treatment of gum disease, and removal of oral lesions using a YAG laser. While traditional surgery requires anesthetic and stitches, laser surgery is often painless, promotes faster healing through biostimulation, and provides more predictable results through greater accuracy.
Are You Considering Laser Dentistry?
Call our Wabasha dental office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Thomas Schoen or Dr. Nate Schoen. They will help determine if laser dentistry will work for your specific condition and provide you with the best results. Their experience and expertise with the latest dental treatments gives our patients a wider range of options for treatment.
We look forward to hearing from you!
