Lares Periodontal Disease Treatment
WPT™ Patient Information
Periodontal Disease Treatment - A patient friendly treatment of periodontal disease using the latest technology.
WPT™ can help eliminate infection and heal diseased gums which otherwise could lead to early tooth loss.
- How does it work?
- Does it hurt?
- How long does it take?
- Does this treatment cost more than traditional gum surgery?
How does it work? [top]
Tartar, associated with inflammation and occasional bleeding gums, is removed from the root surface of the tooth using an ultrasonic scaler and small instruments. Then, a small amount of light energy from a laser is directed through a tiny fiber, which is gently placed between the gum and tooth. This light energy aids in reducing the bacteria associated with the disease. After the area is thoroughly cleaned, the body can heal the area naturally. |
A tiny fiber is placed between |
Does it hurt? [top]
| Although the procedure itself can be virtually painless, the area may be anesthetized for your comfort. In this way the laser can be precisely directed for treatment. Post-procedure discomfort is typically less intense and of shorter duration than conventional periodontal surgery. |
Tartar causes gums to become inflamed, red, sore, and sometimes bleed. Pocket depth is measured. The tartar is removed and the laser treats the area and allows natural healing to occur. |
How long does it take? [top]
The initial treatment will focus on scaling and use of small instruments to remove the tartar. Then, the laser portion of the treatment will be performed. Depending on the severity of the periodontal disease, treatment may be accomplished in one office visit or in multiple visits. Your estimated treatment time will be reviewed when the treatment plan is discussed.
Does this treatment cost more than traditional gum surgery? [top]
The same billing codes as traditional gum surgery are used. There are other factors which may affect the cost such as the severity of the periodontal disease and how many teeth are involved.
The remarkable speed of the laser, the reduced anesthesia, and the increased comfort for patients makes the new system increasingly attractive to dental practices. You should note however that many insurance plans pay for only a portion of the treatment. You should discuss your payment options with the dental office personnel before laser treatment begins. You are encouraged to take care of the need as soon as possible to reduce further damage to your gums, teeth, and bone.
PIPS™ - Photon Induced Photoacoustic Streaming™
What is PIPS™?
PIPS™ (patent applied for) is a revolutionary method for chemically cleaning and debriding the root canal system using Er: YAG laser energy at sub-ablative power levels.
How does PIPS™ work?
PIPS™ harnesses the power of the Er:YAG laser to create photoacoustic shock waves within the cleaning and debriding solutions introduced in the canal. The containment of the shockwaves thoroughly streams these solutions through the entire canal system, enhancing their effectiveness. The canals and subcanals are left clean and the dentinal tubules are free of smear layer. PIPS™ is equally effective for final water rinsing prior to obturation.
Animation Demonstrating PIPS Protocol With Narration
Dr. Giovanni Olivi and Dr. Enrico DiVito, Moderated by Dr. Mark Colonna
Benefits of Laser Use to Patient, Dentist, Practice and Staff
The rapid recent growth in the utilization of lasers by the American dental community is the result of dentist’s awareness and acceptance of an overwhelming number of laser benefits to the patient, the dentist and the practice. Journal articles, respected clinician speakers and word of mouth have all served to spread the good news. What are these benefits?
1. Patient Benefits
In the end, dentistry is all about the patient and so for a new technology to gain rapid and widespread acceptance, the patient must benefit. Here’s how patients benefit from laser usage:
- Fear of needles: The best performing dental lasers can be used to perform almost all common cavity preparation procedures without the need for patient anesthesia. Patients don’t like injections, even when they don’t hurt!
- Dislike of numbness: Patients prefer not to become numb or leave the dental practice after a procedure numb. And, many patients feel anxious from physiological reactions to commonly used anesthetics. A high performance dental laser eliminates this negative.
- Dislike of drill noise and vibration: Highspeed handpiece cavity preparation involves significant objectionable noise and vibration for the patient and they dislike it. The sound of a laser is not objectionable and no vibration is transmitted to the patient as the tip of the laser never even needs to contact the tooth!
- One stop shopping- General dentists find that ownership of a good quality laser with soft tissue surgery capability allows them to perform many more soft tissue procedures more simply, with little or no bleeding post operative due to a laser’s ability to coagulate as it cuts. This means referring their patients less to specialists. Patients prefer to have their dental procedures performed by the general dentist they know and trust and dislike referral to a strange specialist. Add to this that many soft tissue laser procedures can be performed without anesthetic and dislike of needles and numbness comes into play again.
- Preservation of healthy tooth structure: In general cavity preparations performed with lasers preserve more healthy tooth structure while avoiding the micro-cracking of healthy enamel associated with dental handpiece use.
- Less post operative discomfort: Many laser procedures result in less post operative discomfort for the patient.
- Better Overall Care- Equiped with laser technology, the dentist is armed with more and better treatment options than without a laser, resulting in delivery of the very best, state of the art care possible for the patient.
The positive impact of these benefits on how patients perceive their dentist and their dental care experience is dramatic.
2. Dentist Benefits
The dramatic positive impact on the patient’s comfort and the perception of his or her dentist and dental care translates into benefits for the dentist:
- Less stress- delivering pain free, shot free, drill whine and vibration free dentistry is less stressful for the dentist. The patient anxiety associated with traditional shot, numbness, drill procedures is perceived by the attentive dentist and the dentist struggles to mitigate patient anxiety resulting in stress for the dentist himself. Eliminate patient anxiety through laser dentistry, and stress melts away- for dentist and staff.
- Dentistry becomes fun- Eliminate patient anxiety, eliminate dentist and staff stress, exceed patient expectations, and the result is fun! Dentists cite this positive benefit of laser usage over and over again in surveys.
- Improved dentist self esteem- Delighted patients and positive feedback from staff results in the dentist recognizing that he has raised the standard of care for his patients and elevated patient comfort to a new level. The dentist feels like a hero and knows he has made a fantastic decision for his patients and his practice. He looks forward to going to work in the morning and is proud to be a dentist!
3. Practice Benefits
As if the previously described dramatic benefits to the patient and the dentist personally were not enough, benefits to the practice also need to be considered:
- New patient attraction and patient retention: Patients whose expectations have been exceeded by no shot, no numbness cavity preparations and other advanced laser treatment options not only stay with their laser dentist, they tell their friends, family and coworkers about it resulting in new patient referrals.
- Eliminating most patient anesthetic and the chair time occupied by waiting for onset results in better patient throughput and a boost to practice efficiency. The new free chair time can be filled with new patients, new soft and hard tissue laser procedures or more free time for the dentist
- Performing other common procedures with a laser boosts practice efficiency. For example, the laser allows fast and simple coagulation and bleeding control when needed during any procedure
- Increased practice efficiency, new patients, and new soft and hard tissue procedures, all add up to increased practice income. Increased practice income can be used to keep your practice state of the art across all areas and to improve you and your staffs’ standard of living.
In summary, this exhaustive list of benefits associated with laser dentistry is what is driving dentists to use lasers nationwide and worldwide.
