Bleeding when you brush, persistent bad breath, receding gums, or teeth that have started to feel loose can be signs that gum inflammation has progressed beyond gingivitis. At that point, brushing, flossing, and routine cleanings alone may not be enough to control the infection.
Many people delay periodontal care because they are worried about scalpels, stitches, discomfort, or a lengthy recovery. For some patients with moderate to severe gum disease, LANAP® may provide a less invasive treatment option.
LANAP is a specialized laser periodontal protocol designed to target infection below the gumline while preserving healthy tissue. For patients searching for LANAP in Wesley Chapel, understanding what the treatment involves and whether it is appropriate for their condition is the first step toward making an informed decision.
What Is LANAP?
LANAP stands for Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure. It is a specialized protocol used to treat moderate to severe periodontal disease with the PerioLase® MVP-7™, a pulsed Nd:YAG dental laser.
The laser is designed to target inflamed and infected tissue inside periodontal pockets while leaving healthier gum tissue relatively undisturbed. The complete protocol also includes cleaning tartar and bacterial deposits from the tooth roots and creating a stable blood clot around the treated teeth to protect the area as healing begins.
Not every dental laser treatment is LANAP. A dentist may use another type of laser as part of periodontal care without performing the LANAP protocol. LANAP requires the appropriate PerioLase technology and a clinician who has completed training in the procedure.
Why Advanced Gum Disease Requires Professional Treatment
Understanding the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis is important when deciding what type of care may be necessary.
Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease. It affects the surface of the gums and can often be reversed with better home care and a professional cleaning. Periodontitis is different. As bacteria and inflammation move below the gumline, the gums begin to separate from the teeth and form deeper periodontal pockets.
These pockets can collect additional bacteria and hardened tartar. Over time, the infection may damage the connective tissues and bone that hold the teeth in place.
Signs of periodontitis may include:
- Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing
- Red, swollen, or tender gums
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste
- Gum recession or teeth that appear longer
- Increasing spaces between teeth
- Pus or swelling near the gumline
- Pain or discomfort when chewing
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Changes in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together
Periodontitis may cause little or no pain until significant damage has occurred. A periodontal examination, gum-pocket measurements, and dental X-rays are therefore important when symptoms appear.
How Does the LANAP Procedure Work?
LANAP is more than simply applying a laser to the gums. It is a defined periodontal protocol that combines laser treatment, thorough root cleaning, bite evaluation, and careful management of the healing tissues.
1. Periodontal Examination
The dentist begins by examining your gums, measuring the depth of the pockets around your teeth, checking tooth stability, and reviewing X-rays for evidence of bone loss. This information helps determine the extent of the disease and whether LANAP or another periodontal treatment may be appropriate.
2. Local Anesthesia
The treatment area is numbed with local anesthesia. Although LANAP is considered minimally invasive, anesthesia helps keep you comfortable while the periodontal pockets and tooth roots are treated.
3. First Laser Pass
A very thin laser fiber is placed between the tooth and gum. The laser is used to target infected pocket tissue and bacteria while helping preserve healthier gum tissue.
4. Root Surface Cleaning
Ultrasonic and hand instruments are used to remove tartar and other deposits from beneath the gumline. This is an essential part of the procedure because hardened tartar must be physically removed from the tooth roots.
5. Second Laser Pass
The laser is used again with a different setting to help create a stable fibrin clot around the tooth. This clot seals the treated pocket and provides a protected environment in which the surrounding tissues can begin to heal.
6. Bite Evaluation and Healing
The dentist may evaluate and adjust your bite if excessive pressure is contributing to tooth movement or periodontal trauma. Follow-up visits are then scheduled to evaluate healing and maintain the results.
Full-mouth LANAP treatment is often divided between two primary visits. The number and length of appointments will depend on the number of areas being treated, the severity of the disease, and your individualized treatment plan.
What Are the Potential Benefits of LANAP?
LANAP is often considered by patients who want a less invasive alternative to periodontal procedures involving incisions and sutures.
Potential benefits may include:
- No scalpels or stitches as part of the LANAP protocol
- Selective treatment of inflamed or infected tissue
- Preservation of healthier gum tissue
- Less bleeding and swelling for many patients
- Reduced postoperative sensitivity or discomfort
- Less gum recession than may occur after some tissue-removal procedures
- A relatively quick return to normal daily activities for many patients
- Support for periodontal healing and attachment around the teeth
LANAP cannot guarantee that lost gum tissue or bone will completely return, and no periodontal treatment can save every affected tooth. Results depend on the severity of the disease, the amount of supporting bone that remains, tooth stability, general health, tobacco use, home care, and attendance at periodontal maintenance visits.
Laser treatment is also not automatically the best choice for every patient. The appropriate treatment should be selected according to the diagnosis, the condition of each tooth, and the type of periodontal damage present.
Is LANAP Right for Everyone With Gum Disease?
No. LANAP is generally associated with the treatment of moderate to severe periodontitis rather than mild gingivitis.
Someone with gingivitis may only need improved home care and a professional teeth cleaning. Patients with periodontitis often begin treatment with scaling and root planing, sometimes called a deep cleaning.
During scaling and root planing, plaque and tartar are removed from beneath the gumline and the tooth roots are thoroughly cleaned. Some patients respond well to this treatment and require only ongoing periodontal maintenance afterward.
When deep cleaning does not adequately control the disease, or when pocket depth, bone loss, infection, and tooth stability indicate the need for more advanced care, LANAP or another form of periodontal therapy may be considered.
Certain periodontal problems may still require gum grafting, bone grafting, crown lengthening, conventional periodontal surgery, or another procedure.
Your candidacy for LANAP should be based on factors such as:
- Periodontal pocket measurements
- The location and amount of bone loss
- The condition and stability of each tooth
- Your previous response to periodontal treatment
- Your medical and dental history
- Tobacco use and other risk factors
- Your ability to maintain the results at home
- The long-term prognosis of the affected teeth
A careful examination is the only reliable way to determine which option offers the most appropriate balance of disease control, comfort, predictability, and preservation of natural tissue.
LANAP, Deep Cleaning, or Traditional Gum Surgery?
These treatments are not interchangeable. Each addresses periodontal disease in a different way.
Scaling and root planing is a nonsurgical deep cleaning commonly used as an initial treatment for periodontitis. It removes plaque and tartar from beneath the gums and may be sufficient for some patients.
LANAP combines a specific dental laser protocol with thorough root-surface cleaning and other defined treatment steps. It is intended primarily for more advanced periodontal disease and requires the PerioLase MVP-7 system.
Traditional periodontal surgery gives the clinician direct access to the tooth roots and supporting bone. It may still be the appropriate choice when the anatomy of a defect, the need for grafting, or another clinical factor cannot be addressed predictably with LANAP.
The goal is not to choose a treatment simply because it uses advanced technology. The goal is to select the option most likely to control the infection, preserve the teeth, and provide a result that can be maintained over time.
What to Expect From a Periodontal Evaluation at Wiregrass Smiles
At Wiregrass Smiles, periodontal treatment begins with a detailed evaluation and a clear explanation of the findings.
The dental team may review your X-rays, photographs, gum measurements, symptoms, and concerns with you. You can be shown which areas appear healthy, where problems are developing, and what may happen if the condition is treated, monitored, or left untreated.
Depending on the findings, your options may include a professional cleaning, scaling and root planing, laser periodontal treatment, gum grafting, crown lengthening, conventional periodontal care, or referral for specialized treatment.
The recommendation should also include an explanation of why a particular treatment is being suggested and what reasonable alternatives may be available. This reflects Wiregrass Smiles’ patient-focused approach to dental care and is especially important when deciding whether an advanced treatment such as LANAP is appropriate.
Recovery and Care After LANAP
Many patients experience less postoperative discomfort and downtime with LANAP than with procedures involving incisions and sutures. Mild soreness, tenderness, or sensitivity can still occur, and every patient heals differently.
Your postoperative instructions may include temporarily eating softer foods, avoiding chewing directly on treated areas, taking recommended medication, and being careful not to disturb the healing clot.
You will also receive specific directions about when and how to resume brushing, flossing, water flossing, and other hygiene around the treated teeth. Follow the instructions provided for your particular case rather than relying on general online advice.
Follow-up care is essential. Periodontitis is a chronic condition, which means successful treatment must be followed by consistent home care and professional periodontal maintenance. Even when the gums appear stable, bacteria and inflammation can return if maintenance is neglected.
Frequently Asked Questions About LANAP
Does LANAP Hurt?
LANAP is normally performed with local anesthesia. Many patients report less postoperative discomfort, bleeding, and swelling than they associate with conventional gum surgery, but the procedure should not be described as completely painless. Mild soreness or sensitivity may occur after treatment.
Is LANAP the Same as a Laser Deep Cleaning?
No. A dental office may use a laser as an additional part of deep cleaning without performing LANAP. LANAP is a specific, multi-step protocol performed with the PerioLase MVP-7 by a clinician trained in the procedure.
Can LANAP Save a Loose Tooth?
LANAP may help control periodontal infection and improve the environment around teeth affected by gum disease. Whether a loose tooth can be retained depends on the amount of supporting bone that remains, the degree of mobility, the condition of the tooth, bite pressure, and several other factors.
No responsible dental provider should promise that LANAP can save every loose or periodontally compromised tooth.
How Many LANAP Appointments Will I Need?
Treatment is commonly divided into one or two primary visits, followed by healing evaluations and periodontal maintenance appointments. The exact schedule varies according to the number of areas being treated and the severity of the disease.
Will My Gums Grow Back After LANAP?
LANAP is intended to support periodontal healing and new attachment around treated teeth. The degree of improvement differs among patients. It is more accurate to discuss the possibility of regeneration and improved attachment than to guarantee that all lost gum tissue or bone will completely return.
Is LANAP Better Than Traditional Periodontal Surgery?
Neither treatment is universally better. LANAP may provide meaningful advantages for appropriately selected patients who want a minimally invasive approach. Traditional surgery may be more suitable when direct access, reshaping, or grafting is required.
Your examination, periodontal measurements, X-rays, and long-term prognosis should guide the recommendation.
Does Dental Insurance Cover LANAP?
Coverage varies by insurance company, plan, diagnosis, treatment code, and provider. The dental office can review your benefits and provide an estimate, but verification or authorization from an insurance company is not a guarantee of payment.
Schedule a Gum Disease Evaluation in Wesley Chapel
Bleeding gums, recession, persistent bad breath, and loose teeth should not be ignored. The earlier periodontal disease is diagnosed, the more options you may have for controlling the infection and protecting your natural teeth.
Wiregrass Smiles provides periodontal evaluations and advanced laser periodontal care in a friendly, patient-focused environment. The office is located at 2541 Windguard Circle in Wesley Chapel, Florida, and serves patients from Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Tampa, and nearby communities.
Call 813-957-9497 or request an appointment for a gum disease evaluation to learn whether LANAP or another periodontal treatment may be appropriate for you.
This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not replace a dental examination, diagnosis, or individualized treatment plan.
