LANAP
Laser-assisted new attachment procedure (the LANAP™ protocol) is a patented therapy designed for the treatment of periodontitis through regeneration rather than resection.
In LANAP surgery, a dental laser is used by a trained and certified dentist or periodontist to treat the periodontal pocket. The laser energy selectively removes diseased or infected pocket epithelium from the underlying connective tissue. The necrotic epithelium is stripped from the connective tissue at the histologic level of the rete pegs and rete ridges. Since the laser energy is quite selective for pocket epithelium, the underlying pleuropotential connective tissue is spared, thereby permitting healing and regeneration rather than formation of a pocket seal by long junctional epithelium.
In periodontics, the LANAP protocol is a process through which cementum-mediated periodontal ligament new attachment to the root surface in the absence of long junctional epithelium is achieved for the treatment of moderate to severe gum disease (including gingivitis and periodontal disease). Stimulation of existing stem cells permits the formation of new root surface coating (cementum) and new connective tissue (periodontal ligament) formation (collagen) on tooth roots. The procedure's success has challenged the old paradigm of periodontal healing in the absence of guided tissue regeneration barriers (GTR) or bone grafting materials (allografts).
After the LANAP procedure, most patients experience new root surface coating (cementum) and new connective tissues (periodontal ligament) formation (collagen) on tooth roots, preventing tooth loss. Pocket depth reduction is comparable to that achieved by conventional resective osseous or pocket reduction surgery, but without the gingival recession normally associated with osseous surgery. Significant post-operative reduction in gingival indices, gingival inflammation, and bleeding on probing are also common desirable results of the LANAP protocol.
Because the LANAP protocol spares more healthy tissue than scaling and root planing, patients experience minimal post-operative recession and attendant disfigurement or root sensitivity. These results reduce the future risk of root caries/dental decay of the tooth root. Minimal pain is easily controlled through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (over-the-counter NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.