Gum Therapy and Lasers: More Gain, Less Pain

If you dread going to the dentist, you’re not alone. About 60% of people say they experience dental anxiety. The leading cause of this anxiety? Fear of pain. And if you’ve been told you have periodontal disease and need gum work, your fear of pain may increase.  

At Nunn Family Dentistry, our mission is to make you feel comfortable and put you at ease while providing the best oral health care possible. As part of our comprehensive dental services, Clay H. Nunn, DDS, uses the latest in laser technology with traditional gum therapy so you get maximum results with less pain.

Why do I need gum treatments?

Periodontal disease is an infection of the gum tissues. In severe cases, it can destroy the bone that keeps your teeth in the right place. If you have periodontal or gum disease, it’s important to have your gums treated and to maintain regular dental check-ups.  

Periodontal disease mainly affects adults and is typically caused by:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Smoking
• Having a chronic illness (e.g., diabetes)
• Some medications
• Genetics

Traditional treatment for advanced gum disease involves scaling and root planing. This procedure removes bacteria, plaque, and tartar from your mouth and encourages the regeneration of healthy gum tissue.

What is gum therapy?

Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning of the surfaces of your teeth and their roots below the gum line using specialized tools. To make traditional gum therapy more effective, Dr. Nunn uses a concentrated beam of laser energy to reach and remove the infected gum tissues that increase your risk of tooth decay. 

After the infected tissue is removed, Dr. Nunn can remove plaque and tartar that have built up below your gum line. He also smooths any rough areas on the tooth roots that may attract infection-causing bacteria in the future. 

Cleaning the area allows healthy gum tissue to regenerate and reattach to your tooth. This protects your dental health by preventing pockets where bacteria can grow. 

Using traditional gum therapy in conjunction with lasers, we can safely treat your teeth and gums with reduced pain and a lower risk of harm to your surrounding teeth and healthy tissue. The combination means more gain and less pain.

Is gum therapy painful?

Anytime you need gum work, there’s some amount of post-procedure pain as your gums heal. With traditional scaling and root planing alone, it’s challenging to avoid touching your nerves with tools like scalpels and picks, and the experience can be painful. 

By using lasers as part of your gum therapy, Dr. Nunn can remove the damaged tissues without causing trauma to the nerves in your mouth the way traditional gum work can. What’s more? The laser speeds up the healing process because it removes diseased tissue and cauterizes the area at the same time.

As a result, you experience less bleeding, pain, and swelling during and after your gum therapy. After your procedure, you leave Nunn Family Dentistry with healthier gums already well on their way to healing, which reduces your recovery time. 

If you’re ready to tackle your gum issues with the latest in pain-free dental technology, contact our Tomball, Texas, office of Nunn Family Dentistry, or request an appointment online now!