If you’ve recently been to a dental screening and have discovered that you have periodontal disease, you’ll want to know more about the procedure. Does periodontal therapy hurt?
If you have periodontal disease, your gums are infected. Your gums become swollen, red, painful, and may bleed when they are infected. If the infection is left alone to heal itself, you might get worse and even lose teeth. Dr. Gurinsky may recommend laser periodontal therapy to rid you of your gum disease and protect your teeth. Laser periodontal treatment remains about 85 percent successful for most patients.
Periodontal laser therapy uses a dental laser to remove inflamed gum tissue from the area around the tooth. After the infected tissue is removed, the dentist root scales the excess plaque from under the gum line and around the root of the infected area. Next, Dr. Gurinski smooths the root, and the space between the root and gums regenerates and heals.
Does periodontal therapy hurt?
The correct answer to that question remains “Yes.” But if you have a gum infection, your gums most likely have pain. If you and your dentist catch periodontal disease in the early stages, you’ll experience less pain during treatment. Many people report feeling afraid of the pain of a periodontal laser therapy treatment. But only a few individuals report having extreme pain during the procedure.
No general anesthesia remains needed during the process. The lasers target the infected area and remove it more accurately than other types of gum surgery. Laser periodontal surgery is less invasive than traditional methods of gum surgery, and healing occurs much faster.
Advanced periodontal laser therapy plus improved anesthetic use add up to make treating your gum disease tolerable. Dr. Gurinsky uses pain medications, local pain anesthetic, and even sedation to aid in keeping your pain levels down during the treatment. He also suggests or prescribes pain medication for his periodontal patients after the procedure. Some individuals only need over-the-counter pain medications to relieve their gum pain.
You’ll receive specific instructions on oral care for after your periodontal laser therapy. You may also be prescribed antibiotics to fight infection. Don’t stay away from the dentist due to a little pain. Dr. Gurinsky will do everything in his power to keep your periodontal therapy as painless as possible during and after your procedure.