Do Gums Grow Back After LANAP?

The question of whether gum tissue grows back is a complicated one. The straight answer is that receding gum tissue won’t grow back without a support system, but it can regenerate and return to health in the right environment. Gingival recession indicates a loss of attachment between the gums and the tooth, and this loss of attachment leaves the gums without a stable structure and blood supply to keep them supple. While the tissue itself can regenerate, the way a wound heals, with nothing to attach to the gums, won’t grow back. The LANAP procedure doesn’t necessarily make new gum tissue grow, but it does help the gum tissue heal efficiently and thoroughly and reattach to the teeth, which helps them regenerate while also slowing further recession. It is also less invasive than traditional periodontal treatments, which helps support the optimal environment for the gums to reattach.

While traditional, manual periodontal treatments are effective at removing infection and diseased tissue, their prolonged healing times can be discouraging and interfere with consistent oral hygiene. Additionally, such traditional treatments, like osseous surgery, use precision tools, but they still involve incisions and stitches and scraping, all of which irritate healthy tissues and slow healing, which, in turn, continues to interfere with oral hygiene, and thus the cycle continues. The more efficiently the oral tissues heal, the sooner you can start establishing effective brushing and flossing habits that will help you keep future gum disease at bay.

In earlier stages, scaling and root planing, also known as a dental deep clean, removes plaque and tartar deep within the periodontal pockets at the gum line and can help the gum tissue reattach, protecting against further disease progression. Once periodontal disease has advanced, however, and the tissue itself is infected or destroyed, the only way to treat it is to remove this tissue. Once the tissue is removed in osseous surgery, it won’t grow back without some outside support, which usually takes the form of bone or gum grafts. Often used in combination with guided tissue regeneration and cosmetic resculpting of the gum line, grafts provide the support needed to scaffold healthy tissue growth. However, if there is sufficient healthy gum tissue remaining after periodontal surgery, and if the bone is still vital and healthy and the oral health is well-managed, it’s possible for healthy gum tissue to revitalize and reattach, returning to its protective position around the tooth roots.

The goal of any dental procedure is to maintain as much of the natural, healthy tissue as possible, whether this tissue is teeth, gums, or bone. This is also the case with the osseous surgery, but scalpels and sutures will never be able to compete with lasers when it comes to precision. This precision also makes lasers extra helpful when it comes to fine-tuning the aesthetics of gum procedures. With the goal of reversing the effects of periodontal disease and encouraging the health of the oral cavity, and the added benefits of disturbing as little of the healthy oral tissue as possible and superior aesthetics, the gold standard for helping the gums grow back is the LANAP protocol. Most people with gum recession or periodontal disease can be good candidates for LANAP, but a consultation with a licensed periodontist is the first step, so call today.

Related Article: Will LANAP Save My Teeth?