If your dentist has told you that you have gum disease and mentioned treating it with a laser, you are probably wondering what that actually means. The word laser does a lot of work in that sentence and not much explaining.
This page walks through what the appointment involves, what it is treating, how it differs from a deep cleaning, and what the recovery is like. Dr. Tummala treats gum disease at our office on North Braeswood Boulevard in Meyerland, for patients across Bellaire, Westbury, Willow Meadows and southwest Houston.
If you have been putting this off because you do not know what you are agreeing to, that is the thing this page is meant to fix. To talk it through, call 713-723-7200 or request an appointment.
What Gum Disease Actually Is
Gum disease starts with bacteria that collect along and under the gum line. Your body responds to that bacteria with inflammation, and over time the inflammation does the damage.
In the early stage, called gingivitis, the gums are red, puffy and bleed easily. Nothing has been lost yet and it can usually be reversed.
Left alone, it progresses. The gum pulls away from the tooth and forms a pocket. Bacteria settle into the pocket, where a toothbrush cannot reach. The pocket deepens, and in time the bone that holds the tooth starts to go. That stage is periodontitis, and the bone does not grow back on its own.
This is why bleeding matters more than most people think. Gums that bleed when you brush are not normal, and they are the earliest thing you can actually notice. We have written about that separately in when bleeding gums are worth worrying about.
What the Laser Is For
A dental laser is a focused beam of light energy used to work on the soft tissue inside the pocket. In gum treatment it does two jobs.
- It removes the diseased, inflamed tissue lining the pocket, which is tissue that is not going to recover on its own
- It reduces bacteria in the pocket as it goes
What it does not do is replace cleaning the tooth. The hardened deposit on the root surface still has to come off with instruments. The laser handles the tissue side; the scaling handles the tooth side. They are two halves of the same appointment, not alternatives.
Dr. Tummala uses laser treatment for gum disease and for several other procedures. If you want the wider picture, our laser dentistry section covers the others, including crown lengthening.
How It Differs From a Deep Cleaning
A deep cleaning, which you may hear called scaling and root planing, removes deposit from the root surface below the gum line and smooths it so the gum can reattach. It is the standard first treatment for periodontitis and it works well in a lot of cases.
Adding a laser addresses the pocket lining as well as the root. The practical differences patients tend to notice are less bleeding during the appointment and less soreness afterward, because there is no cutting or stitching involved.
Which approach is right depends on how deep the pockets are and how much bone has been affected. That is measured at the examination, not guessed at from symptoms. Our laser periodontal disease treatment page goes into the treatment itself in more detail.
What Happens at the Appointment
Before
Dr. Tummala measures the pocket depth around each tooth with a small probe and takes x-rays to see the bone level. Those two things together decide what is needed. You will know the plan before anything is done.
During
The area is numbed with local anesthetic first. The laser tip is thin and goes into the pocket itself rather than cutting through the outside of the gum. The deposit on the root is then removed. Depending on how much of the mouth is involved, this may be split across more than one visit so you are not in the chair too long.
There is no scalpel and no stitches, which is the main reason recovery tends to be shorter than with traditional gum surgery.
After
Expect the area to feel tender for a few days and to be careful with what you eat during that time. Dr. Tummala will give you specific instructions for your case. Most people are back to normal eating within a week.
You will then come back so the pockets can be re-measured. That follow-up is not optional, because the measurement is the only way to know whether it worked.
What It Can and Cannot Do
Being straight about this matters more than selling it.
It can remove diseased tissue, reduce the bacteria in the pocket, and give the gum a chance to reattach to a cleaner root surface. In many cases pockets measure shallower afterward.
It cannot regrow bone that has already been lost, and it does not make you immune to gum disease returning. Gum disease is driven by what collects along the gum line every day. If the daily cleaning and the regular appointments do not change, the pockets will deepen again.
That is why treatment is followed by a maintenance schedule rather than a discharge. Anyone who tells you one appointment ends the problem is not being straight with you.
Who It Suits
Laser treatment tends to fit if you have pockets that have not responded to cleaning alone, if you bleed easily and want less of that during treatment, or if the idea of traditional gum surgery is what has been stopping you from getting treated at all.
It is less relevant if you are at the gingivitis stage, where a thorough cleaning and a change in daily habits usually handles it, or if the bone loss is advanced enough that a periodontist should be involved. Dr. Tummala will tell you which of those you are in.
Patients We See Across Meyerland and Southwest Houston
Our office is at 4455 N Braeswood Blvd, Suite 201, Houston, TX 77096. We treat gum disease for patients from Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury, Willow Meadows and the wider southwest Houston area, including 77096, 77035 and 77025.
If you are looking for a dentist in Meyerland and your gums have been bleeding or sore, the examination is the place to start.
Gum disease does not improve by waiting. If your gums bleed, feel tender, or have started to pull back from your teeth, call 713-723-7200 or request an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does laser gum treatment hurt?
The area is numbed with local anesthetic, so you should not feel the treatment itself. Afterward the gums are usually tender for a few days. Most people describe it as sore rather than sharp, and it tends to settle faster than traditional gum surgery because there is no cutting or stitching.
How many visits does it take?
It depends how much of the mouth is involved. Treatment is often split across more than one appointment so you are not in the chair for too long at once. You will also come back afterward so the pockets can be re-measured, which is how we know whether it worked.
Will my gums grow back?
Gum tissue that has receded does not generally grow back on its own, and bone that has been lost does not either. What treatment aims for is stopping the loss and letting the gum reattach to a cleaner root surface, which usually shows up as shallower pocket measurements at the follow-up.
Is this the same as a deep cleaning?
No, but they overlap. A deep cleaning removes deposit from the root below the gum line. Laser treatment also addresses the diseased tissue lining the pocket. The scaling still happens either way, so think of the laser as something added to the cleaning rather than something that replaces it.
What happens if I do nothing?
Gum disease is progressive. Pockets deepen, more bone is lost, and teeth that were solid start to loosen. Tooth loss from gum disease is common and it is largely preventable. The earlier it is treated, the less there is to treat.
Do I need to see a specialist instead?
Sometimes. If the bone loss is advanced, a periodontist may be the right person. Dr. Tummala will tell you plainly if that is the case rather than treating something that should be referred.