LANAP Laser Dentistry in Sacramento, CA

LANAP: Laser Gum Surgery Without the Scalpel

Most people hear “gum surgery” and picture a scalpel, stitches, and a week of soft food. That was the only option for a long time.

LANAP is not that. It stands for Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure and treats periodontal disease using a laser fiber instead of a blade.

Dr. Samuel is a general dentist and a certified LANAP provider. He uses the PerioLase MVP-7, a laser that operates at 1064 nm. At that wavelength, the energy targets bacteria and diseased tissue and largely passes over healthy tissue. Infected tissue comes out. Healthy gum stays. You go home the same day.

Laser Treatment for Gum Disease: What LANAP Does

Treats Gingivitis and Periodontitis

Gum disease is a bacterial infection. Laser dentistry for gum disease works by killing that bacteria directly inside the pocket, then removing the tissue it has already destroyed. No incision. No sutures.

Reduces Periodontal Pockets

As gum disease advances, gum pulls away from the tooth. The gap that opens up is a pocket where bacteria live.
LANAP clears the infection out of the pocket and gives the gum a clean surface to reattach to. As the tissue reattaches, the pocket depth decreases.

Regenerates Bone and Attachment

This is the part that separates LANAP from older approaches.
The protocol has FDA clearance for true regeneration — new bone, new cementum, new periodontal ligament forming on root surfaces that disease had stripped. Conventional surgery cleans the area and closes it. It does not rebuild what was lost.

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening exposes more tooth structure above the gumline. Two common reasons:

A crown has nothing to seat on because too little tooth is showing
A patient wants less gum visible when they smile

The laser reshapes the tissue with minimal bleeding and no scalpel work.

Peri-Implantitis

Infection and bone loss around a dental implant. Left alone, the implant eventually fails.
The laser clears the infection around the implant body and supports healing of bone and soft tissue around it. We see this more often than most patients expect.

How the LANAP Procedure Works

Full periodontal exam. X-rays and pocket depth measurements at multiple points around each tooth. Every mouth is different. We want the baseline before anything else happens.
First laser pass. A fiber roughly the width of three human hairs goes into the pocket. It removes diseased tissue and bacteria.
Scaling and root planing. Plaque and calculus come off the tooth and root surface. The root gets smoothed so bacteria have less to grip.
Second laser pass. This forms a stable seal at the top of the pocket, which allows healing to occur beneath it rather than the pocket simply refilling.
Same-day discharge. Most patients return to work or their normal routine that day. Expect some soreness for a day or two. Over-the-counter pain relief and an ice pack handle it for most people.
Follow-up. We recheck healing and remeasure pockets over the following months to track how the tissue and bone are responding.

LANAP vs Traditional Gum Surgery

Conventional periodontal surgery — osseous surgery — is still a valid treatment. It is simply a different experience.

	LANAP	Traditional gum surgery
Access method	Laser fiber into the pocket	Scalpel incision, gum flap lifted
Sutures	None	Yes
Healthy tissue	Largely preserved	Some removed alongside diseased tissue
Recovery	Usually same day or next morning	Typically one to two weeks
Post-op diet	Soft food briefly	Restricted longer
Tissue outcome	Regeneration of bone and attachment	Repair of the treated area
Gum recession after	Less common	More common

Is LANAP an Alternative to Gum Surgery?

It is gum surgery. It is a laser-based alternative to the scalpel version.

That distinction matters, because patients sometimes assume “laser” means something less serious than surgery. It is a full periodontal treatment, done under local anesthetic, with a real recovery period — just a shorter and less uncomfortable one.

If a dentist has told you that you need gum surgery, LANAP is worth asking about before you schedule anything.

Benefits of Laser Gum Surgery

No Scalpel, No Stitches

The fiber works from inside the pocket. Nothing is cut open, and nothing is sewn shut. Patients regularly describe it as closer to a deep cleaning than to surgery.

Faster Return to Normal

We treat people from Midtown, East Sacramento, Land Park and Natomas who cannot take a week off work. Most are back to normal activity the same day or the next morning.

Healthy Tissue Stays Put

The 1064 nm Nd: YAG wavelength acts on diseased tissue. Healthy gum and bone are left alone. The healthier the tissue you keep, the better the support structure around your teeth holds up long-term.

Bone Support Can Improve

Because the protocol is cleared for regeneration rather than repair, the goal is not just to stop the disease. It is to rebuild some of what the disease took.

LANAP Cost: What Affects the Price

There is no single number for laser gum surgery cost, and any practice quoting one before an exam is guessing. What actually moves the figure:

How many quadrants need treatment. Localized disease in one area costs considerably less than full-mouth treatment.
Disease severity. Deeper pockets and more bone loss mean more chair time.
Whether scaling and root planing is bundled. Some cases require preparatory cleaning, billed separately.
Maintenance schedule after treatment. Periodontal maintenance visits are more frequent than standard cleanings for a period afterward.

Regarding insurance: LANAP is an FDA-cleared treatment for periodontal disease, not a cosmetic procedure, and many PPO plans cover it. Coverage varies by plan and by how the disease is coded. We verify your benefits before treatment, so you know your share before you commit.

Worth weighing against the alternative. Untreated periodontal disease leads to tooth loss, and replacing teeth with implants or bridges costs substantially more than treating the gums.

Call (916) 446-7722 for a cost estimate based on an actual exam.

Book a LANAP Consultation

If your gums bleed when you brush, or another dentist has recommended gum surgery, ask about LANAP before you schedule it.
Samuel Dental Care 2525 K St #207, Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 446-7722
We will perform a full periodontal exam and tell you plainly whether LANAP is right for your case. Sometimes it does not, and we will say so.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is LANAP different from traditional gum surgery?

Conventional osseous surgery uses a scalpel to open the gum, clears the infected tissue, then stitches it closed. Recovery runs one to two weeks, and some gum tissue is usually lost for good. LANAP works by using a laser fiber inserted into the pocket — no incision, no sutures, and most patients resume normal activity the same day. It also aims to regenerate bone and attachment rather than only removing damaged tissue.

How much does laser gum surgery cost?

It depends on how many quadrants need treatment and how advanced the disease is. Localized treatment costs far less than full-mouth treatment. Many PPO plans cover part of it because this is a medical treatment for periodontal disease rather than a cosmetic procedure. We review your benefits and provide a written estimate after the exam.

Am I a candidate for LANAP?

Most people with moderate-to-severe gum disease are. Indicators include bleeding when brushing, pockets deeper than 4 mm, loose teeth, or a diagnosis of periodontitis. Smokers and patients with uncontrolled diabetes tend to heal more slowly but can still benefit. Dr. Samuel evaluates this at your first visit.

Does LANAP hurt?

It is done under local anesthetic, so you should not feel the procedure itself. Afterward, expect soreness for a day or two, similar to what follows a deep cleaning. Over-the-counter pain relief is enough for most patients.

How long does the procedure take?

Usually two appointments, each covering half the mouth. Plan on roughly two hours per visit, though this varies with how much of the mouth needs treatment.

What happens after treatment?

Soft foods for a short period and no aggressive brushing of the treated area while it seals. We recheck healing and remeasure pocket depths over the following months. Long-term results depend heavily on keeping up with maintenance visits and home care.

Is LANAP covered if I have already had gum surgery before?

Often yes. Previous treatment does not rule you out, and recurrence after conventional surgery is one of the more common reasons patients come to us. The exam will show what is happening now.