Laser pocket reduction is a gum disease treatment that uses a dental laser to clear bacteria, tartar and inflamed tissue from deep pockets between the teeth and gums. We offer this laser gum treatment in Redondo Beach, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
It is usually not the first step. Most patients come to it after scaling and root planing, when some pockets are still deep once the gums have healed. If you have been told that is your situation, here or at another office, call (310) 542-6988 to ask whether laser treatment is an option for you.
Who Laser Gum Treatment Is For
Gum disease makes the gum pull away from the tooth, which leaves a pocket where bacteria and hardened tartar collect below the reach of a toothbrush. A deep cleaning removes that buildup from the root surfaces, and many pockets shrink as the inflammation settles. Some do not. A pocket that stays deep keeps holding bacteria, and over time it can lead to more bone loss around the tooth.
Laser pocket reduction may be recommended when:
- Pockets are still deep, often 5 millimeters or more, after a deep cleaning and healing time
- Those areas still bleed when the gums are measured
- The pockets are too deep for maintenance cleanings alone to keep clean
It does not replace the deep cleaning, and it is not used for healthy gums or for gingivitis, the early stage that usually responds to a professional cleaning and better home care. Your dentist decides whether a laser, conventional surgery or continued cleanings fits each area, based on your gum measurements and X-rays.
How Laser Pocket Reduction Works
A dental laser delivers focused light that can remove diseased soft tissue and seal small blood vessels as it works. In pocket reduction, the laser is used alongside hand instruments to clean the pocket and the root surface inside it. The treatment typically includes:
- Local anesthetic to numb the area being treated.
- The gum may be gently moved back from the tooth so the root surface can be reached.
- The laser removes bacteria and inflamed tissue lining the pocket, and calculus (tartar) is cleaned from the root.
- The gum is placed back against the tooth so it can heal closer to the root.
- An antibiotic may be used to help control the remaining bacteria while the gums heal.
The goal is a shallower pocket that you can keep clean at home and that a maintenance cleaning can reach. Ask us how to care for the treated area while it heals.
What the Research Says About Lasers for Gum Disease
The evidence on lasers for gum disease is mixed. In 2018 the American Academy of Periodontology published a best evidence consensus from an expert panel in the Journal of Periodontology. The panel found that, used alongside conventional treatment for moderate to severe periodontitis, a laser may give a modest added improvement in pocket depth and gum attachment of less than 1 millimeter, and it called the clinical significance of that difference open to question. For pockets still 5 millimeters or deeper after conventional treatment and at least a year of maintenance, it found the evidence inadequate to show that a laser, alone or added on, improves the result. When a laser was added to gum surgery, most evidence showed no extra benefit beyond surgery alone.
A laser is one tool among several, and results depend on the depth of the pockets, your health, and how well the area is kept clean afterward. Ask your dentist why a laser is suggested for a given area and what the conventional alternative would be.
Laser Treatment or Conventional Gum Surgery
Conventional periodontal surgery uses a scalpel to lift the gum, clean the roots and sometimes reshape the bone or gum before it is closed. Laser pocket reduction uses the laser for part of that work. Because a laser seals small blood vessels, gum work done with one often bleeds less during the procedure.
Advanced disease with significant bone loss, or areas that need bone or tissue grafting, may still call for conventional surgery.
Recovery After Laser Pocket Reduction
Gum and tooth sensitivity is common for a short time after treatment, especially to cold. It usually eases as the gums heal. The gums may be tender for a few days, and many patients notice the gums looking and feeling healthier over the following weeks.
Pockets that have been treated can deepen again if bacteria are allowed to build back up. That is why treatment is followed by periodontal maintenance, a cleaning above and below the gumline usually every three months, along with daily brushing and cleaning between the teeth. Pockets are usually measured again after healing so the results can be compared with the starting point.
Where Laser Treatment Fits in Gum Disease Care
Most gum disease treatment starts without a laser. The usual path is an exam with gum measurements, a deep cleaning if pockets are deep, then maintenance cleanings, with laser pocket reduction or surgery for areas that do not respond. Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes make gum disease harder to control and can affect which treatment is likely to hold.
Cost and Insurance for Laser Gum Treatment
The cost of laser pocket reduction depends on how many teeth or areas of the mouth need treatment, how deep the pockets are, and whether other care, such as X-rays or an antibiotic, is part of the visit. Ask for an estimate before treatment begins.
Dental insurance generally pays by procedure rather than by the instrument used, so laser gum treatment is usually billed as the periodontal procedure being done. Coverage for periodontal treatment varies by plan, and a deductible or waiting period may apply. We accept PPO plans; ask us how your plan applies to this treatment. For the balance, we offer payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub, plus an in-office plan for patients without insurance.
Who You Will See
Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads Redondo Beach Dental Group. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors, and his work covers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including implant restorations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does laser gum treatment really work?
Laser gum treatment can help clean deep gum pockets, but the evidence that it works better than conventional treatment is limited. A 2018 American Academy of Periodontology consensus found that adding a laser to conventional treatment may improve pocket depth by less than 1 millimeter more, and that adding one to gum surgery showed no extra benefit in most studies.
How expensive is it to laser your gums?
The cost of laser gum treatment depends on how many teeth or areas need treatment and how deep the pockets are. Redondo Beach Dental Group does not publish a set fee, so ask for an estimate before treatment begins. Insurance usually bills it as the periodontal procedure being done.
Can 5mm gum pockets be reversed?
Gum pockets of 5 millimeters can often get shallower after treatment, as inflammation settles and the gums tighten around the teeth. A deep cleaning is usually the first step. Bone that has already been lost does not grow back on its own, so the aim is to stop the pocket from deepening and keep it clean.
What shrinks gum pockets?
Gum pockets usually shrink when the bacteria and tartar inside them are removed and the inflammation settles. Scaling and root planing is the standard first treatment. Pockets that stay deep may need laser pocket reduction or gum surgery, and daily home care plus maintenance cleanings help keep them from deepening again.
Can laser fix receding gums?
Laser pocket reduction does not fix receding gums, because it treats pockets below the gumline rather than replacing gum that has pulled back from the tooth. Receding gums are treated with gum recession treatment, such as grafting, once the cause has been found.
Does laser therapy work for gum disease that keeps coming back?
Laser therapy can be one option for areas where gum disease has not responded to a deep cleaning, but no treatment keeps gum disease away without ongoing care. Periodontitis is controlled rather than cured, so maintenance cleanings and daily home care are what hold the results of any treatment, laser or conventional.
Does laser gum treatment hurt?
Laser gum treatment is done with local anesthetic, so most people feel pressure rather than pain during the procedure. Afterward, the gums may be tender and the teeth more sensitive than usual, especially to cold, and this usually eases as the gums heal. Ask us about options if you are anxious about dental treatment.
Ask About Laser Gum Treatment in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (310) 542-6988 or request an appointment online. If you have your gum measurements from another office, bring them to your first visit.