Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.
That is the common sentiment of most patients who have received gum surgery done in the traditional way. The cutting of the gums with a scalpel, removal of the infected tissue, and then suturing the mouth to help the gums heal, has been the traditional way to treat gum disease, or periodontal disease over the years. This type of surgery, though very neccessary, instead of losing your teeth, has been the standard protocol for years. Well, that’s how things have been until the LANAP surgery- or Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure.
You see, periodontal disease is what has been affecting millions of American adults for many years. In the past, we thought that after you get to a certain age, you will just be a candidate for dentures or partial dentures. We thought that gum disease was an inevitable condition as a part of aging. However, intensive research has been performed over the years, and we have found that if you are able to keep the plaque off of your teeth successfully, and you can pay attention to your diet, then you are expected to keep your teeth for a lifetime. Additionally much research has been done about the relationship between heart disease, lung disease, many other degenerative diseases and periodontal disease. What we know now is quite stunning. The area of your body with the most bacteria is your mouth. A periodontally compromised mouth will allow the bacteria to travel from the oral cavity to other parts of your and wreak havoc on your other organs. In the healthcare field, we are now fully realizing the impact of poor oral health on your total body health, and therefore, we have to treat periodontal disease, not just to save the teeth, but also, to keep the rest of the body healthy. Well, enter LANAP.
The LANAP protocol is a surgical therapy designed for the treatment of periodontal disease through regeneration rather than resection (cutting tissue away). This therapy was developed in 1991 by Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy to achieve consistently effective and predictable outcomes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the LANAP protocol for the treatment of periodontitis, or gum disease, in 2004.
No cut, no sew, no fear! The mantra of LANAP. We do not use the scalpel, we do not need to suture the gums back together, and patients say it is like night and day, compared with the old traditional way of periodontal surgery.
If you or a loved one, has bleeding gums, bad odor in their mouth (bad breath), red or inflamed gums, or know you have a history of periodontal disease; find a dentist who performs the LANAP surgery, you can save your teeth. Your teeth should last you for a lifetime!
Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.
Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.
One of my patients who I hadn’t seen in a few years came in to see me for treatment. She brought with her a letter from her physician of which I will share. It goes as follows:
“RE: Pre-Transplant Dental Evaluation
Thank you for agreeing to evaluate patient______________ as you know, this individual is currently being evaluated as a potential kidney transplant recipient. Because there are a number of well documented risk and potential complications associated with dental disease during post transplant period, this evaluation represents a critical component of our pre-transplant evaluation procedures……”
Finally it stated “Perhaps you could also reiterate our concerns regarding the importance of meticulous dental care after transplantation, and reinforce this with our recommendation for meticulous plaque control”.
I am upset that one of my patients has to become a candidate to receive a kidney transplant, however, I am always pleasantly surprised when physicians are aware and understand the connection between the oral cavity and the rest of the body. I know that this patient will be in good hands.
In this day and age, anyone who is going to be a recipient of any type of transplant or knee and hip replacement surgeries and the like, must ensure that part of the preparation for the surgery includes getting a thorough dental examination and treating for any infections in the mouth, lest they spread elsewhere and cause complications for the surgery.
Most of us forget that the area of the body laden with the most bacteria is the oral cavity, the mouth. Often people who have bleeding gums, usually, they don’t bleed all of the time, but on occasion. Also, when your gums bleed it doesn’t hurt, so we are inclined not to pay attention to it. Unfortunately, the same areas that are bleeding are the entryway for the bacteria to enter the blood stream and cause problems and disease in other areas of the body. Heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, lung disease, even premature low birth weight infants are linked to infections in the mouth. Though we often fail to pay attention to the mouth, it really is one of the most important areas of the body to devote time to ensure it’s health. The health of your entire body can stem from your mouth.
I feel comfortable that the patient made a very good choice choosing a conscientious physician who is up to date on the latest research and most importantly has her best interest at
Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.
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