Gums are vitally important to our oral health. For years, those who suffered from common problems like gum disease (AKA periodontitis)  and gingival (gum) recession were presented with, in Dr. Barotz’ opinion, primitive and painful treatment options. Here at Barotz Dental, in downtown Denver, Colorado, we are overjoyed to announce that this is a thing of the past, as gum disease and gum recession can now be treated with the most advanced and least invasive procedures in dentistry.Gum recession is no longer treated with painful gum grafting surgery, but instead with an elegant and effective new procedure called the Pinhole Surgical Technique. Gum disease, which has traditionally been treated with painful cut and stitch surgery, is now treated with a revolutionary laser therapy called LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure). Each of these new treatments offer the same key benefits: greatly reduced pain and dramatically shortened recovery times. Would you like to learn more about LANAP and the Pinhole Surgical Technique? What exactly happens during the procedure? Why are they such revolutionary treatments? Read on to learn more!

LANAP
The Alternative to Cut & Stitch Gum Surgery

WHAT IS LANAP?
Did you know that gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss for adults 35 and older? In the past, the most common treatment for patients with severe gum disease, also called periodontitis, was the classic cut & stitch surgery involving a scalpel, signicant bleeding and pain, and long recovery times. The risks and implications of periodontal disease are so significant that well-meaning doctors and patients alike have resorted to this kind of surgery which, at Barotz Dental, has been replaced by LANAP.

A) Perio probe indicates excessive pocket depth.
B) Laser light removes bacteria and diseased tissue.
C) Ultrasonic scaler & special hand instruments used to remove root surface tarter.
D) Laser finishes cleaning pocket, seals the pocket closed so new germs can’t enter.
E) Healing of gums to clean root surface occurs.
F) Bite trauma is adjusted.
G) Healing occurs.

Developed during the 90s and introduced as a treatment option in the 2000s, LANAPtreats gum disease with advanced laser technology rather than a scalpel. This state-of-the-art laser allows dentists to remove infected areas of gum tissue with remarkable precision and minimal pain infliction. The result is a gum disease treatment that preserves the uninfected portions of your gums, is way less painful, and requires far shorter recovery times compared with traditional gum surgery. Watch this 90 second video to see an animated demonstration of the procedure!

Benefits of LANAP

• Way less pain
• Was faster healing
• Decreased sensitivity
• Less time in the dental chair
• Less bleeding
• Less post-treatment discomfort
• Little to no gum recession

Barotz Dental was founded in 1980. We have been making Denver smile for 36 years and, when it comes to dentistry, we really have seen it all. Over the decades, procedures have come and gone, but the LANAP therapy has us extraordinarily excited because it truly is a revolutionary development in the field of dentistry. With the advent of dental implantology, some dentists are so quick to recommend patients have their natural teeth pulled in favor of implants. With LANAP treatment however, we have been able to save dozens of teeth that would have otherwise been hopeless. A dentist that wants to help you save your teeth? What a concept!

The Pinhole Surgical Technique
A 21^st Century Solution to Gum Recession

WHAT IS THE PINHOLE SURGICAL TECHNIQUE?
While LANAP laser therapy treats gum disease, the Pinhole Surgical Technique is the modern way to treat gingival (gum) recession. The most common treatment option available to patients with gum recession in the past has been gum grafting, an incredibly painful and invasive procedure that requires significant time for recovery. Traditional grafting has proven an effective treatment, however, the Pinhole Surgical Technique has proven equally effective at treating gum recession while at the same time providing a decidedly more comfortable patient experience. The primary reason for this is that the Pinhole Technique involves no grafts, no sutures and no incisions, just a small pinhole to penetrate the gums and adjust their position. If pictures are worth a thousand words, then videos are certainly worth more! To see exactly how the Pinhole Surgical Technique is performed and the benefits it provides compared to traditional grafting, watch this illustrative 76 second video:

Dr. Barotz himself  recently suffered from a case of gum recession. After receiving the traditional gum grafting treatment he concluded that the experience, “two weeks of pure misery” as he described, was one he did not want to put any of his patients through. When a piece of meat is cut from the palate, the aches, pains and throbbing that patients experience during the two week recovery period can only be described as miserable. Now, thanks to the Pinhole Surgical Technique, gum disease can be treated in 21^st century fashion, as this procedure provides the effective, noninvasive treatment that patients atBarotz Dental have come to expect.

Do you think you might be suffering from gum disease or gum recession? Recession is fairly easy to identify with the naked eye. Gum disease, or periodontitis, can be more tricky. If you have bleeding gums, bad breath and loose teeth, it’s likely that you are one of millions of Americans suffering from periodontitis. Whether you have gum disease or gum recession, there has never been a better time to consider your treatment options than now thanks to these revolutionary treatments. To learn more about LANAP and the Pinhole Surgical Technique, visit our website at DenverDentist.com or call our office to book your free consultation!