Washington dentists are looking into a Long Island gum doctor, a board certified periodontist who is marketing himself as the only periodontist fully trained and licensed to perform the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) which is used to treat gum disease. Dr. David R. Scharf expects LANAP to revolutionize gum surgery the way Lasik did for refractive eye surgery.

According to Dr. Scharf, LANAP represents a complete shift from the traditional cut-and-stitch surgery method.  The laser eliminates diseased tissue while preserving healthy gums so there is no need for sutures or scalpels and the discomfort is minimalized.  This procedure is ideal for people who are uneasy or downright afraid of seeing a dentist and as a result have gone much of their life without proper dental care.

Dentist D C states that traditional gum surgery, depending on the extent of the damage, could require as many as eight to 10 office visits, but with the LANAP method used to treat a comparable problem, it could take only two office visits.  Additionally, the cost is approximately the same or less ranging from $2,000-$9,000.

Having to disrupt a person’s life for 10 dental office visits, in addition to both the physical and mental pain an individual suffers, is worth having to spend a little more money and less time to have their gums repaired by a new procedure that has been proven to work.

The American Academy of Periondotology has yet to endorse the LANAP method but does recognize that many of the periodontists are using this new procedure instead of the cut-and-stitch technique.  Dr. Scharf stated that some organizations are simply slow to adopt new technology; however he is confident that the American Academy of Periondotology will be studying the new procedure closely and soon all periodontists will be abandoning the cut-and-stitch method.

According to a statement by the American Academy of Periondotology, Dr. David Cochran stated, “There is insufficient evidence to suggest that any specific laser wavelength is superior to the traditional treatment methods of the common periodontal diseases.”