LANAP®
Welcome to Ann Kearney Astolfi in Bethlehem, PA, a family periodontal dentistry practice.
Susan R.
Are you fed up with pain or discomfort from periodontal disease? Or, are you constantly worried about your breath? Suffering from bad breath and oral discomfort caused by periodontal disease can affect your mood, confidence, and oral function. In addition, periodontal disease that has been left untreated can cause even more serious issues, such as tooth or bone loss. Luckily, laser periodontal therapy can help you regain your oral function and your confidence.
HOW IT WORKS
Laser periodontal therapy at Ann Kearney Astolfi in Bethlehem, PA is a minimally invasive and highly targeted treatment that only removes and kills bacteria in your mouth, so you can keep your healthy tissue in place. Patients diagnosed with periodontal disease may be good candidates for LANAP®, an innovative laser dentistry solution that can treat an infection in the mouth without incisions or sutures. Passing the laser over the gum tissue can remove 90% of the inflammation in the mouth after a single visit. This procedure can save your teeth and the protocol is scientifically proven to regenerate bone tissue around the tooth. It is also a safe procedure with zero contraindications, so patients taking medications can still get the treatment they need.
Not only is it beneficial and simple for our patients, laser periodontal therapy also minimizes the amount of bleeding, shortens healing time, and reduces the risk of bacterial infection. We use the PerioLase® MVP-7™ to perform LANAP® with exceptional results and have helped countless patients restore their oral health with this simple, minimally invasive treatment.
MAINTENANCE
Since periodontal disease is never fully eliminated, regular periodontal maintenance appointments will be necessary to keep it from advancing. We will develop a maintenance plan for you to keep your periodontal disease at bay.
LET’S GET STARTED
Contact us if you’re ready to properly deal with your periodontal disease. Our team at Ann Kearney Astolfi in Bethlehem, PA will help you set up an appointment and determine if laser periodontal therapy is the best treatment option for you. After receiving laser therapy, you will leave our office confidently smiling, feeling happier and healthier.
Post-Op Instructions – Laser Gum Surgery
What you can expect as a result of your LANAP Laser Gum surgery.
Post-Op Instructions
LANAP After Care Instructions
What to expect…
Do not be alarmed with any color changes or appearance of gum tissue following laser therapy. Gum tissue can turn gray, yellow, red, blue, purple and “stringy” and reflects a normal response to laser treatments. A fibrin clot will form around the teeth in the healing process which appears as a whitish color at the gum line.
You must leave this material alone until it heals naturally and disappears.
Do not apply excessive tongue or cheek pressure to the treated area
Do not be alarmed if one or all of the following occurs:
- Light bleeding
- Slight swelling
- Some soreness, tenderness or tooth sensitivity
- Medicinal taste from the Periogard
Swelling may possibly occur. To keep this at a minimum, gently place an ice pack on the outside of the face for 20 minutes each hour for 24 waking hours.
Some oozing of blood may occur and will appear to be greatly exaggerated when it dissolves in saliva. Determine the site of the oozing and place pressure with a moistened tea bag for 20 minutes. When resting, elevate your head with an extra pillow.
Please call the office at 610.882.1501 if any of the following occurs:
- Prolonged or severe pain
- Prolonged or excessive bleeding
- Considerably elevated or persistent temperature
Please take all of the prescribe medications exactly as directed. The entire bottle of antibiotics should be taken for the stated number of days until completion. The Motrin (Ibuprofen) is prescribed to minimize tissue swelling and local inflammation and reduce post-operative pain and sensitivity which are natural side effects of minor surgery.
Refrain from aerobic activity for 48 hours following the surgery.
Try to keep your mouth as clean as possible in order to help the healing process. Do not brush or floss the treated area until after your post-operative visit in approximately 7-10 days.
Do not rinse with anything the day of the surgery. Starting the day after the procedure, you may rinse your mouth 2 times a day with the Periogard. In between the Periogard rinses, you may rinse with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8oz. glass of warm water).
You will be on a liquid diet for the first 3 days.
You will start with “mushy”/soft foods from days 4-7.
Starting one week after the procedure, continue with a diet of smart food choices for the remainder of the month. It is important to maintain a good food and fluid intake. Try to eat soft but nutritious foods until you can comfortably return to a normal diet. Please refer to the Post LANAP Treatment Diet as stated below.
Avoid spicy or excessively hot foods during the initial 3 day liquid diet period.
When eating do not chew on the side of your mouth which has been treated.
Do not be alarmed if as soon as two weeks after treatment and extending as long as one year or more, the teeth may become sore and tender as the bone and ligaments around the teeth regenerate and become more firm. This is a sign of healing but also indicates the presence of a bite imbalance that may need to be adjusted.
“Spaces” between your teeth can result from reduction of inflammation, swelling, and the removal of diseased tissue after the LANAP treatment. These spaces usually fill in over time, and again, bite adjustment is critical to making sure the teeth and the papilla is not traumatized and can regrow.
After your active periodontal treatment is completed, follow up care and periodontal maintenance visits are extremely important to preserve the work that has been done.
POST LANAP Treatment Diet Instructions
The first three days following laser therapy, you will need to follow a liquid-like only to allow healing. Anything that could be put in a blender to drink is ideal. The purpose of this is to protect the clot that is acting as a “band-aid” between the gums and the teeth. Do not drink through a straw as this creates a vacuum in your mouth that can disturb the “band-aid”.
The next four days, you may start eating foods with a “mushy” consistency such as those listed below.
Starting 7-10 days after treatment soft foods may be allowable. The time to start on soft foods is dependent upon the loss of the white material (fibrin clot) that appeared around your teeth following LANAP treatment. Soft foods should have the consistency of pasta, fish, chicken or steamed vegetables. You may then gradually add back your regular diet choices.
Please remember that even after ten days, healing is not complete. You should continue to make smart food choices for the first month following treatment. Soft foods are better.
“Mushy” Diet Suggestions
- Anything that can be put through a food blender
- Cream of Wheat or oatmeal
- Mashed avocado, mashed bananas or any mashed fruit, applesauce
- Mashed potatoes, mashed yams, baked potato or baked sweet potato, butternut squash
- Broth or creamed soup
- Cottage cheese, cream cheese or soft cheese
- Creamy peanut butter without solid pieces
- Eggs any style
- Jell-O, pudding, ice cream, yogurt
- Milkshake or smoothies
- Ensure, Slim fast shakes or other nutritional drinks
- Avoid anything hard, crunchy or with seeds
Call Ann Kearney Astolfi in Bethlehem, PA today at 610.882.1501 to schedule an appointment!
Your local periodontal dentistry team: 2299 Brodhead Road, Suite F, Bethlehem, PA 18020.