Nearly one in eight people have gum disease and often there are no symptoms until it's too late.
Traditional treatment means invasive surgery, but now, dentists are zapping diseased gums away virtually pain-free.
Gail Miller loves to play cribbage. But when it comes to her teeth, she wasn't dealt a good hand. She has gum disease.
After surgery, she thought her problems were over. But 25 years later, it came back - and this time there was a new treatment.
"We are taking a little fiber that's a little thicker than a hair. We're inserting that below the gum line," explained Dr. Robert J. Yu, board-certified periodontist, Tampa Bay Dental Implants & Periodontics, St. Petersburg, Florida.
This laser kills bacteria below the gums while leaving healthy tissue alone. Studies show it helps regenerate lost bone and gums.
"There is almost no bleeding - very little bleeding at all," he said.
Traditional surgery involves cutting open the gums, which can mean weeks of downtime.
"About 25 years ago, I had the traditional, and it was extremely painful. My kids thought I was dead. I was laying in bed. I couldn't move," said Janis Swiderski.
Last week, Janis had the laser on the right side of her gums; this week, the other side.
"I had no pain at all, and I went back to work the next day," she said.
Gail also is happy with her results.
"The surgery has made chewing fruit much easier for me," she said.
Dr. Yu says in some cases, the traditional gum surgery works better.
Gum Disease Laser
http://www.millenniumdental.com/
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