Laser gum surgery may be recommended for you if you have periodontal disease or a “gummy” smile. The big question asked most often is whether or not laser gum surgery is painful. Most laser gum surgeries use a diode laser along with a local anesthetic to numb the area. Diode lasers are also referred to as injection laser diodes. It is an electrically pumped semiconductor laser that is about the size of the pen and works by emitting light. Usually, this soft tissue laser is used to treat gum disease, where the gums are so infected that the damaged portions of the gums must be removed. Laser gum surgery is also used to correct “gummy” smiles, resulting in a cosmetic procedure for people who wish to decrease the size of their gums to make the gums more proportional to the teeth. Gum surgery procedures can be somewhat invasive however, laser gum surgeries tend to be minor in comparison, resulting in shorter procedure times as well as a faster recovery time for the patient.
Laser gum surgery and periodontal disease
In cases where the patient has periodontal disease, the dentist will use a diode laser to remove inflamed gum tissue from the root of the tooth. When the tissue is removed, the root is exposed and the dentist will then perform root scaling- a process that involves scraping off plaque built up below the gum line. This ultimately allows the area between the gum and the tooth to heal and regenerate.
Correcting a “gummy” smile with laser gum surgery
If you do not have periodontal disease and you are looking to contour a “gummy” smile, then the dentist will use a diode laser to cut away the excess gum tissue and sculpt a more desirable gum line that is uniform. Both procedures gently cut away at gum tissue and bleeding is common but nothing to worry about. Since a local anesthetic is used, the procedure is usually painless and can be completed in one visit. If the gum surgery is more invasive, sometimes anesthesia is used to put the patient in a “twilight” sleep simply to remove instances of pain during the surgery. To plan for a procedure, you can check our website for pre-treatment instructions.
What to expect after laser gum surgery
As for after care, the patient may experience gums that are swollen for up to a week. The pain experienced after gum surgery is usually very mild and does not inhibit the patient from doing everyday activities like eating, drinking and speaking. While gum surgery has little effect on these daily activities, it is wise to avoid foods that might irritate your gums, like anything spicy or crunchy. Sticking to soft foods that are easy to eat is key to a quick recovery after gum surgery. As for post gum surgery pain, it is likely that the dentist will prescribe some type of extra-strength ibuprofen to make the recovery more comfortable. If you have questions regarding recovery, you can check here for information or contact our office with questions.
At Artistic Dental, Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adhikari are trained to use the NV Micolaser, a soft-tissue diode laser used to treat “gummy” smiles, periodontal disease, canker sores and cold sores. The small size of the laser allows for accuracy and short recovery times. To make an appointment, call 602-840-5400 or visit artisticd.com for more information about Artistic Dental’s services.