LANAP Laser Gum Surgery in Columbia, MD

If you're one of the millions of people who suffer from gum disease, you may be dreading traditional gum surgery. But thanks to the advanced technology we use at Smile Savers Dentistry, there's no need to be afraid! 


We offer LANAP laser gum surgery, an innovative technology that is FDA-approved to treat gum disease. And unlike traditional gum surgery, LANAP is minimally invasive, which means it's much more comfortable. 


Keep reading to learn more about this amazing periodontal treatment, or call us at (410) 730-6460 to schedule your consultation today!

What is LANAP?

LANAP is an abbreviation for "Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure." This cutting-edge technology uses a dental laser to remove the diseased tissue from your gums, while leaving the healthy tissue intact. In fact, the laser is specifically engineered to locate only the diseased gum tissue, which makes it much more accurate than traditional gum surgery. 


The LANAP protocol means the series of steps our dentist follows to treat periodontal disease using the LANAP laser. Through following the LANAP protocol, Dr. Stewart, your dentist in Columbia, MD can:


Decrease the depth of your gum pockets 

Slow or stop the deterioration of the tissues that keep your teeth in place

Promote gum regeneration to restore health to your gums and teeth


And because this type of periodontal surgery uses a laser, there is no scalpel involved—meaning you won’t have to deal with uncomfortable oral stitches either!

Why Would I Need Surgery to Treat Gum Disease?

Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue that surrounds and supports each of your teeth. This infection is ongoing, meaning that it will persist and spread unless it is handled by a qualified dentist. In its early stages, called gingivitis, the infection can be treated without surgery. But without regular dental checkups and cleanings, it’s easy for gingivitis to become the more severe form of gum disease known as periodontitis.


The reason oral surgery is necessary to treat periodontitis is because the infection essentially eats away at your gums and the connective tissue that holds your teeth in place. In order to handle the infection for good, we need to clear away the bacteria, diseased gum tissue, and tartar buildup from deep within your gums at the roots of your teeth. Without surgery, your gum disease will persist and eventually lead to tooth loss. 

Patient Results With LANAP

The Benefits of LANAP Treatment

Smile Savers Dentistry offers the latest benefits of LANAP for gum disease treatment, under the expert guidance of Dr. Patel. Here are some reasons why LANAP could be the best option for periodontal treatment:

  • Minimally Invasive Approach

    LANAP is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional gingival surgery. It uses laser technology to target and remove diseased tissues while preserving healthy tissue. The result is less pain, less bleeding, and faster healing than conventional methods.

  • Comfort Enhancement During Treatment

    With LANAP, patients experience minimal discomfort both during and after treatment. This is thanks to the gentle nature of laser therapy. Laser energy sterilizes treatment areas, reducing infection risk and promoting healing.

  • Preservation Of Gum Tissue And Bone

    LANAP preserves both the integrity of gum tissue and bone tissue. This allows for the preservation of the natural contours and the prevention of gum tissue recession.

  • Stimulates Regeneration

    The LANAP stimulates your body's natural healing process, which promotes the regeneration of healthy bone and gum tissue. This results in a better attachment of the gums and teeth, and over time helps restore periodontal (gum) health.

  • Precise Planning

    Dr. Patel uses advanced technology to plan and execute the LANAP treatment precisely, ensuring that each patient receives optimal results. The laser energy can easily be adjusted to target specific concerns, giving precise control of the depth and extent of tissue removal.

  • Faster Recovery

    The LANAP procedure is typically associated with a faster recovery time than traditional gum surgery. This allows patients to resume their normal activities earlier. The majority of patients report minimal swelling and discomfort following surgery. Many can return to their normal routines the day after treatment.

  • Long-Term Periodontal Heath

    LANAP can help promote periodontal health by removing bacteria. LANAP helps patients to maintain healthy gums for many years with regular maintenance and proper oral hygiene.

Why Choose Smile Savers for Gum Disease Treatment with LANAP?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of gum disease, schedule a consultation at Smile Savers Dentistry for LANAP laser gum surgery! Our team will take care of your gums and teeth so you can be proud of your beautiful and healthy smile again. 


Call us at (410) 730-6460 to schedule your consultation at our Columbia, MD, dental office today!

LANAP Frequently Asked Questions

What is LANAP?

  • Read Transcript here

    Summary (00:00):

    You’ve been battling gum disease for a long time haven’t you? You’ve been going to the dentist, been told you need deep cleaning and it doesn’t seem like anything is changing. Well, there is a game changer for you and it’s called LANAP. And it stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. It basically means that you use a little laser down below the gum line that allows your gums to reattach to the bone and to reattach to your teeth. So if you’ve been that you have deep pockets it makes the pockets smaller. Now you can keep it clean. So what we’re trying to do with LANAP is we’re trying to save your teeth. We’re trying to do it without having to cut you, without stitches, without pulling a lot of teeth. We’re trying your own body’s healthy immune system to heal it. I’ve been practicing and using the laser for many years now, so don’t gum disease hold you back. Schedule your LANAP treatment. Give us a call at Smile Savers.


    Note: we have no interest 3rd party financing services available for those who qualify.

What to Expect During LANAP

  • Read Transcript here

    Dr. Stewart (00:00):

    Many of you have had the alternatives. You’ve had the stitches, you’ve had the gum scraping, you’ve had the cutting. You’re not going to have this today. You’ll come in, we’ll anesthetize you, we’ll make sure you’re comfortable, we’ll do the procedure and it’ll last about an hour and a half. Is it going to be painful? No. The thing you have to worry about is getting fully hydrated. Make sure you eat before you come in. But when you come in, what we’ll do is make sure you’re very comfortable. We’ll get you anesthetized in the areas we’re going to work on so that you don’t feel a thing. What we’re going to do is we’re going to use this laser below the gum line. You probably won’t even know we’re using it on you. After we use the laser on you we’re going to clean your teeth really well with an ultrasonic. And during the procedure, when we use the laser you’re probably not even going to know that we’re using the laser. It’s literally that simple. I know you’re scared, I know you’re nervous but it’s not that big of a deal. When you leave you’re not going to be in pain. We’re not going to cut your gums, we’re not going to give you stitches. You’re going to go home. You’re going to have no gauze in your mouth, and you’ll be able to just relax when you get home.



Where Do I Find a LANAP Clinician?

  • Read Transcript here

    Summery (00:00):

    You cannot get the LANAP protocol at any dentist. There’s only certain of dentists who have been certified and have the precise laser, from Their Millenium Dental Technologies that can do the LANAP procedure. So many of you have searched for laser dentists in your area, LANAP laser is totally different. You must be certified and you must have the correct laser to do the LANAP procedure. So if you see “laser dentist”, you must ask if they’re laser certified using the LANAP procedure. Schedule your LANAP treatment today! Give us a call at Smile Savers.


    Note: we have no interest 3rd party financing services available for those who qualify.

LANAP and Invisalign

  • Read Transcript here

    Summary (00:00):

    Many of you don’t know that not only is gum disease a bacteria problem, it’s also a bite problem. 50% of the depth of the pocket is caused by your bite. And if you can think about a tooth getting bang, bang, bang, all the time, it’s going make the pockets get deeper around your teeth. So it’s not just bacteria. The laser will go down and remove the bacteria, but it also gets the bone to grow. If the bone can’t grow because you’re banging your teeth or your teeth are in the wrong position, then the pockets will never get better. So as a part of LANAP, most of my patients or all of my patients are either going to have their teeth adjusted by lightly polishing edges like fingernails. Or you’re going to get a night guard so that nighttime you’re not banging your teeth while you’re healing. There are other people that even need more treatment which is what I love doing is Invisalign. Invisalign will help move your teeth into the right position. So while you’re healing, they’re not getting banged on.


    Note: we have no interest 3rd party financing services available for those who qualify.

What is the cost of LANAP?

  • Read Transcript here

    Summer (00:00):

    The cost of LANAP, it depends on the severity of your disease. So we like to get you in, do an evaluation, and then give you a cost of what it would be for you. 


    Insurance usually will cover a portion of it up to your yearly max, so if your yearly max is a thousand, then they'll cover up to that thousand dollars. The absolute. 


    We have several payment plans anywhere from 12 months with no interest to extended plans with interest to make affordable payments for you.


    Note: we have no interest 3rd party financing services available for those who qualify.

Who Can Benefit From LANAP?

  • Read Transcript here

    Dr. Stewart (00:00):

    Have you been told that you’re going to lose your teeth, or you have bad gum disease, or you have gum disease? You’ve been to the periodontist every three months, you’ve had your teeth cleaned every three months, but if feels like nothing’s happening, nothing’s changing. Well, you could be a candidate for LANAP. I’ve had many patients that have wondered if they can benefit from LANAP. Really, what I have found is you have to have deep pockets around your gum. And usually, when you have deep pockets you have bad breath, you have bleeding gums, you have loose teeth, and you’ve had scaling and root planing if you know what that, have heard that before. Usually the patients that I see that need LANAP are those are having a hard time keeping their teeth clean. If you can’t keep your teeth clean, then you have deep pockets around your teeth. So you would be a great candidate for LANAP because what LANAP does is it makes the pockets smaller so that you can keep your teeth clean and you can keep your teeth longer. So what is the best part about LANAP? It’s gentle, for people that have beginning gum disease, or people that have progressive gum disease or those that have really complicated gum disease, it works for all of you. So if you have a question and you think that you may be a candidate give us a call and I’d be happy to do a consultation with you and show you if LANAP will benefit you.


Common Questions About LANAP

  • Read Transcript here

    Dr. Stewart (00:00):

    It's pretty amazing. The laser has been made so that it'll actually go after the bacteria in the pocket and it's specific to the type of bacteria that caused gum disease. So when you use that laser, it literally will sterilize around the pocket and kill the bacteria. That's how it works. 


    It also uses the light of the laser to actually energize the bone and the hi the tissue that heals and it allows it to heal faster. If you don't do lan nap treatment, you most likely will lose your teeth because if you're coming to see me for LANAP, you usually are pretty advanced and you don't have much time left. So I usually find if you don't do anything, you're gonna lose your teeth. In most cases it will. 


    through the years of doing this, we've had really excellent results. Sometimes you'll lose a few just because they're so badly damaged, but the majority of them you'll be able to save. 


    (00:53)

    the LANAP is a lot different cuz we use a laser to do a lot of our procedure and the laser is so small that very nice to the gums. We don't have to use scalpels and, and sutures to hold everything together. When we're finished, we actually just use the laser and it'll actually heal it on its own. 


    Well, if you file a protocol that you've been, you'll be taught after you do the procedure, is you shouldn't have to have it done again. In some rare cases, you may have to, you might have to go back in and to retreat using LANAP near certain sites, but a majority of the patients that I've seen haven't needed to have that done afterwards. Usually it depends on how much is needed, but normally if it's your full mouth, we do two parts, one half of the mouth one day and the other half the other day. 


    (01:39)

    And it's usually about a hour and a half. Oh yeah.  it's like a normal dental procedure where you would have anesthetic, you would be totally fine after you're finished. It's about an hour and a half appointment, so you might be a little tired, but you should be totally fine. 


    And again, drive yourself an It does. it depends on if you want me to write you a note and get outta work. No, just  the amazing thing about it is it seems like a very complicated procedure, but actually for you can go home, you can have a normal day, you can go right to work. You may be anesthetized so you make people make, may make fun of you, but outside of that you should be totally fine. Go back to work, resume most of your normal routine. 


    Actually it's really amazing considering what we're doing for you and the surgery that we do. You won't have much pain at all. Some people may need a Motrin afterwards or an ibuprofen, but most cases people are like, call me the next day asking when am I gonna be in pain? And they aren't. That's the pretty neat thing about it.



  • What are the Benefits of LANAP Surgery?

    The LANAP laser and its protocol for use have been around for over 20 years. In that time, both have undergone strict scientific testing to ensure the safety and workability of this method of treating periodontal disease. That testing has revealed many benefits of choosing LANAP over traditional gum surgery, including:


    Fewer side effects

    LANAP laser gum surgery has been shown to have fewer side effects than traditional gum surgery. This is because the laser targets only the diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Traditional gum surgery involves cutting away both healthy and diseased tissue, which can lead to a number of unpleasant side effects like pain, bleeding, and infection that can last for days or even weeks. 


    Quicker healing time

    Another benefit of LANAP laser gum surgery is that it results in a quicker healing time than traditional gum surgery. This is because the laser cauterizes blood vessels as it removes the diseased tissue, which helps to reduce bleeding and swelling. Traditional gum surgery, on the other hand, often causes bleeding and swelling, requires stitches, and includes the risk of getting an infection.


    Less pain and discomfort

    Because the LANAP laser cauterizes your gum tissue during the surgery, it causes less pain and swelling than traditional gum surgery which uses a scalpel. This is why LANAP is considered much more comfortable than traditional gum surgery. Additionally, the safety features programmed into this laser mean that there is no chance of an accidental cut. 


    No need for stitches

    Another benefit of LANAP laser gum surgery for periodontal disease is that it does not require stitches. This is because the laser cauterizes blood vessels while it removes the diseased tissue, which helps to reduce bleeding and swelling. Traditional gum surgery often requires stitches, which can take several weeks to heal.


    Reduced risk of infection

    LANAP laser gum surgery also carries a reduced risk of infection when compared to traditional gum surgery. This is because the laser kills bacteria and cauterizes your gums as it removes the diseased tissue, which helps to reduce the risk of infection. Traditional gum surgery, on the other hand, often requires stitches—which means your body has a higher risk of infection while you heal from surgery. 


    FDA-approved dental treatment

    The full LANAP protocol (which means all of the steps our dentist follows to treat periodontal disease using the LANAP laser) is the only FDA-approved laser treatment for gum disease. In fact, the LANAP protocol is the only method that has received FDA clearance for “true periodontal regeneration,” or the proven ability to regenerate the tissues that attach your teeth and gums to your jawbone. 

  • How is LANAP Surgery Performed?

    When you visit Smile Savers Dentistry in Columbia, MD, for LANAP laser gum surgery, we’ll do everything we can to keep you informed and comfortable during your dental treatment. In general, the procedure goes as follows: 


    1. Our team will make sure you’re comfortable while the dentist calibrates the LANAP laser to your specific oral health needs. 
    2. The dentist will begin using the laser to clear away the harmful bacteria and infected gum tissue. 
    3. Once the infected gum tissue is handled, the dentist will use an ultrasonic scaler—a specialized dental tool that vibrates with enough strength to break down any plaque or tartar that has built up on your teeth, both above and below the gum line. 
    4. When the plaque and tartar is cleared away, the dentist will do a procedure called root planing, which means he will smooth the roots of your teeth so plaque is less likely to stick to them and calcify. 
    5. Lastly, the dentist will use the LANAP laser to reconnect your gum tissue to the roots of your teeth.

  • How Long Does LANAP Surgery Take?

    In general, the full LANAP protocol takes about two hours from start to finish. However, this will depend on the severity of your periodontal disease. If it is contained to a small area, your procedure should only take one appointment. If the infection has spread and covers more of your gums, it may take two appointments to fully handle. 

  • How Long Does it Take to Recover After LANAP?

    Most patients report little to no discomfort after a LANAP procedure and are able to return to their normal activities within 24 hours. Our team will provide you with follow-up instructions based on your specific needs, but the general post-LANAP instructions are: 


    • Do not brush or floss your teeth for about 1 week after your LANAP surgery. This will allow your gums time to properly heal and remain attached to your teeth. 
    • Eat an entirely liquid or soft-food diet as recommended by the dentist, usually the first 2-3 days after your treatment. 
    • Do not smoke or vape for at least 3 days after your treatment because the suction force can interfere with the proper healing of your gums. 

  • Why Choose LANAP?

    There are many reasons to choose LANAP surgery for gum disease treatment. Not only is LANAP faster and more accurate than traditional gum surgery, but it also provides several important health improvements such as:


    • Improved health of gums and jawbones

    Studies have shown that LANAP surgery is effective in treating gum disease and can help promote bone growth in your jaws. 


    • Reduced risk of tooth loss

    Because LANAP surgery helps to preserve and even regenerate your healthy gum tissue, it can also help reduce your risk of tooth loss.


    • Better overall health

    Gum disease is a bacterial infection, which means that your body is actively using energy to fight it. But gum disease is an ongoing infection, meaning that your immune system will not be able to clear it up on its own. Once your LANAP treatment is finished, your immune system will be able to focus on the rest of your body instead of being constantly distracted by the infection in your gums.