Dr. Timothy S. Davis
Naples, FL (PRWEB) December 15, 2014
Periodontist Dr. Timothy S. Davis continues to expand his patient base in order to provide patients throughout South Florida with easier access to a minimally invasive alternative for treating gum disease. The LANAP® protocol employs sophisticated laser technology to reduce periodontal infection without cutting or suturing.
Dr. Davis belongs to a select group of dental professionals who have completed the training required to perform LANAP®. Since only one percent of dentists in the country currently offer the procedure, many people do not live in close proximity to a LANAP® certified provider. Although Dr. Davis still provides traditional periodontal disease treatments like scaling and root planing as well as osseous surgery, he has found LANAP® to be more comprehensive in nature during the four years he has performed the procedure. Because of the laser’s ability to target and vaporize only the diseased tissue and bacteria, Dr. Davis is able to preserve more of the soft tissue and bone while eliminating/minimizing the bacterial load.
While laser gum surgery achieves similar results to flap and osseous surgery, LANAP® offers several advantages over those traditional procedures. Since the procedure is minimally invasive and does not require incisions or sutures, patients experience significantly less pain, bleeding, and swelling. Unlike traditional surgery, which can create recession, a laser gum surgery procedure does not result in gum recession. In addition to increased sensitivity, receding gums also pose a cosmetic concern due to the lowered gum line.
In order to determine a patient’s eligibility for LANAP®, Dr. Davis first conducts a comprehensive examination and reviews all treatment options and their accompanying pros and cons. Dr. Davis bases his recommendation on the unique needs of each individual. In some cases, patients may be medically compromised and their primary care physician has advised against invasive surgery that would require them to discontinue medications like blood thinners. Some patients have multiple units of crown and bridgework and do not want to risk exposing the crown margins with the recession most often associated with flap and osseous surgery. For others, the issue might be the fear of pain surrounding an invasive procedure like traditional osseous surgery. Dr. Davis takes all these concerns into consideration when evaluating a patient’s candidacy for laser gum surgery.
As periodontal disease reaches epidemic proportions in the United States and increasingly more evidence reveals a correlation between periodontitis and systemic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, patient education is more critical than ever before. Periodontal therapy not only improves gingival health, but can improve the patient’s systemic health.
According to Dr. Davis, dental professionals need to be prepared to address patient concerns and provide them with information about all the treatment options available, including laser gum surgery.
Clinical research supporting the benefits of laser gum surgery and the LANAP® protocol continues to mount. Although each patient is different, Dr. Davis has found that his results confirm the findings in Dr. Marc Nevins’s study, A Prospective 9-Month Human Clinical Evaluation of Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) Therapy, which reported evidence of bone regeneration and new connective attachment after six months utilizing the LANAP® protocol.
For more information about LANAP® and other periodontal procedures, please call 239-330-4996 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Davis.
About the Doctor
Dr. Timothy S. Davis has been practicing periodontics in Naples, FL since 1989. Dr. Davis specializes in periodontal diagnosis and treatment, laser periodontal treatment (LANAP), dental implants, and cosmetic and regenerative periodontal surgery. He has extensive training and experience in all aspects of periodontal treatment. Dr. Davis graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry. He completed his General Practice Residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO and completed his specialty training in Periodontics at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. Davis received the honor of being selected for “topDENTISTS” in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. He was chosen by other dental professionals based on years of experience, education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technology, and actual physical results. Dr. Davis is in the one percentile of dental professionals providing the most recent FDA cleared laser procedure (LANAP) for gum disease and periodontal treatment. To learn more about Timothy S. Davis, DDS, PA, and his periodontal services, visit his website at http://www.naplesperiodontist.com and call 239-330-4996.