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Dear Dr. Linden,

First of all I want to thank you for taking the time to answer so many people's questions! I have found your site to be very informative. I am 32 years old and at my most recent cleaning visit the hygienist informed me that I have several 4mm pockets and one 5mm with some bone loss around the tooth with the 5mm pocket. I also had some cavities that needed to be filled. Needless to say I am a little scared about my dental health, so I started doing some research on periodontal disease and came across the LANAP procedure as well as other procedures for treating periodontal pockets. When I went back for my fillings I expressed my concerns to my dentist and asked if he would suggest that I seek further treatment. I was a little surprised when he told me I just needed to floss more often and that we should re-evaluate my condition at my next six month cleaning appointment. I have also noticed that after having my teeth cleaned I have a space between two of my lower incisors that was not there before. I know that you cannot possibly provide a diagnosis without doing an exam on a patient, but I just want to know if I should get another opinion on my situation. I have been seeing this dentist for a number of years and do trust him, but I just am very concerned with my oral health. I am afraid of the possibility of losing my teeth at an early age and want to be as proactive as I possibly can be. I have found a few dentists in my area that offer the LANAP procedure, and was wondering if this procedure could possibly be beneficial for treating/reversing early gum disease.
Thank you very much for your time,

Emily
Dear Emily: I would recommend seeing an experienced periodontal specialist in your area to evalua Continue..

I am about to go in for osseous surgery for severe perio disease, but everything I can pull up about this treatment, will not guarantee the removal of the disease, only to say that of course, maintenance is the key. But my question is, I am 50 and the possibility of more surgeries in the future to obtain the look I want, would I be better off, physically and financially just to have teeth pulled and get full dentures? I am so confused. I think my doctors are great, but maybe a little bias with the truth! Please help me decide. Thanks so much,,,, Carol
Dear Carol, I would suggest that you get a second opinion about your plan for osseous surgery as Continue..

Dear Dr. Linden,

I had a bone graft and three implants placed on my right lower Jaw in 2007. Soon afterwards I started losing bone around them and had to have another bone graft. I continued to have bone loss and have now 6-7 mm pockets. The gum around one of the implants is often sensitive and often bleeds. My periodontist has tried several things such as cutting some muscle in the mouth that he thinks was pulling on the gums (it grew back), using Avastin, a mouth guard, Peridex, etc., but the problem continues. He has not referred me to another periodontist that is trained in LANAP. Do you do LANAP around implants? Is it effective? I was told it will just need to be done in the quadrant of my mouth with the problem because my natural teeth are OK.
Yes, we treat natural teeth and dental implants with the laser protocol. We would need to see you fo Continue..

I woke up about a week ago with a toothache and now my gums are slightly swollen with little pockets between some of them. I haven't eaten anything since last week because I'm afraid to get something in between my teeth and make this worse. I have no dental insurance and currently am out of work. I was wondering about your personal opinion on getting oraMD. I've read good things about this product and would like your professional opinion on what I should do about this because the pain is getting worse. I rinse with Listerine and salt water every day and have been brushing 3 to 4 times a day hoping to halt this pain before something extreme happens. Thank you for your time.
I would recommend you see a dentist as soon as possible. It is extremely difficult to know what is h Continue..

Please HELP! I am 35!!!! I just went to the dentist yesterday after not going for about 6 yrs. No cavities. Good, but not so good. Dentist said I have gum disease. Severe at the bottom, where she said that my bottom teeth are loose. I hadn't noticed. She sent me to a periodontist.... Can my teeth be saved????????????
Sounds like you need a diagnosis and treatment plan immediately. Hopefully, you will be a candidate Continue..

Hello Dr. Linden:
I was in my dentist earlier today and he suggested I needed Lanap to fix my gums/bones. He had an estimate of $8500 on the paper and tried real hard for me to agree to do the procedure. I am wondering is this normal amount that this procedure costs?
Did you speak with a Periodontist (specialist) in gum surgery, or a regular dentist? How long has h Continue..

Do you offer some type of payment plan for LANAP? I would like to save the few teeth I have left, mostly the front ones. I lost a lot of bone. Four of my teeth are loose. My dentist wanted to pull them, but recommended that I see a periodontist. Please help.
We offer a payment program called Care Credit which is endorsed by the ADA. Please call our office f Continue..

Dear Dr. Linden ~
I had laser surgery to reduce pocket depth on several teeth a couple years ago and I have since been on a 3-month cleaning schedule. I'm told that I am doing good with respect to my periodontal disease, but I was left with a smile that I am unhappy with. Two of my front upper teeth (i.e., central and lateral incisors) have receding gums and appeared to have dropped lower than the rest of my other teeth due to bone loss, as I understand it. It was suggested that my only option to improve my smile would be to get dental veneers, which I really do not want to do.
My question is: Are bone and gum grafting a possible alternative based on what I described?
Thank you.
Gary
Yes, it might be possible to achieve a better smile without the veneers. You really need to be seen Continue..

If I have an abscess at the bottom of a molar where I had a previous root canal done, can LANAP be used to kill the bacteria in the abscess to prevent a tooth from extraction?
What kind of abscess are we referring to? Endodontic or periodontal? Or both? Generally speaking, if Continue..

How much does this treatment cost for whole mouth?
It’s difficult to offer a specific answer to such a general question. The cost of laser treatment co Continue..

Hi. I had LANAP done about 2 years ago. I have followed up with regular maintenance appts every 3-4 months since then. They use a laser in the cleaning sessions. My question: Do I have to continue going to the same dentist for my cleanings? Would a dentist that does laser cleanings suffice? Or do I need to continue going to the office that did my LANAP?

Thanks!
I would continue with the dentist (Periodontist?) who did your LANAP. They should know your periodon Continue..

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