Cost of Gum Disease Treatment in Los Angeles, CA

What is Gum Disease?

Also known as periodontitis, gum disease is when your gums get infected by bacteria. This infection can lead to the breaking down of the jaw bone, which holds your teeth. The bacteria develop best in the pockets of your gums. They especially thrive when small pieces of food get stuck in one of these spots. One cause of gum disease is untreated gingivitis, which is the inflammation of the gums. Other things can further progress periodontal disease, such as not brushing regularly or smoking.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums is usually an indication that you may have gum disease. The bleeding of your gums could hint at something completely different, but you’ll know for sure if you have gingivitis. When your gums become swollen and sensitive to the touch, it may start bleeding when you brush your teeth at a normal pace. All of this starts with plaque build-up. Neglecting the care of your teeth leads to hardened plaque, also known as tartar, which results in gingivitis. Even if you brush often, tartar can still form in those areas of the teeth that are harder to access during normal brushing. Regardless, contact your dentist or doctor about your bleeding gums so you can solve this problem before it gets worse.

That’s if you are sure that your gums are bleeding because you have a particular periodontal disease. It could be because you are brushing too hard. Make sure you are brushing at regular speeds and heaviness. The cause may also have to do with being pregnant. That’s why it’s not only your dentist but also your doctor you may want to check with. You don’t want to receive unnecessary gum disease treatment Los Angeles, as it is rather costly.

Periodontal Disease Treatment

One of the periodontal disease treatment options scaling and root planing. This is also known as a deep cleaning, which is a more profound version of regular cleaning. Deep cleaning has the purpose of cleaning out any pockets in your gums of any bacteria and tartar buildup. As such, these pockets will be able to shrink as the process of gum healing can begin. Your dentist may suggest medication to help further this process by reducing pain or keeping the potential infection under better control. If a deep cleaning doesn’t work, then your dentist may turn to laser surgery to help solve this issue.

The Cost of a Deep Cleaning

There are a lot of factors that may affect the cost of deep cleaning. Such factors can include your insurance coverage, the location of the dentist, the technology used, and much more. Another factor is that your dentist will be working on one quadrant of your mouth at a time. The cost of each quadrant can be somewhere between $275 and $980. If it’s individual teeth that need deep cleaning, then the price of treatment for each tooth can be around $25. You’ll have to visit the dentist three times a year afterward to keep your gums maintained, which will be about $115 per visit.

For those asking the question, “how much does it cost to treat periodontal disease?”, you’re probably referring to laser treatment. If you’re lucky, laser treatment will not be needed. It’s important to talk to your dentist first to see if you need that kind of treatment. Chances are your dentist will perform a deep cleaning on you first before making that decision. Regardless, it is still important to know the average cost of periodontal treatment for various procedures so you can financially prepare for the possibilities.

The Cost of Fixing Overgrown Gums

Overgrown gums can come from medication, genetic conditions, or gum disease. Also known as gingival enlargement, this can make it difficult to clean your teeth. In extreme cases, the gums can completely cover the teeth. Laser surgery is one of the main ways to treat gingival hyperplasia. The cost of trimming away overgrown gums for a single tooth can cost between $50 and $350. For multiple front teeth, the gum disease treatment cost is between $1000 and $3000.

The Cost of Treating Receding Gums

Receding gums can be caused by poor oral hygiene and, like overgrown gums, periodontal disease. This is also known as gingival recession. Dentists treat gingival recession through gum tissue graft, which is the process of cutting healthy gums from the roof of your mouth and placing them over the receding gums. A single procedure of this has an average price range of $600-$1200 if it’s in a specific area. Further trimming and adjusting of the gums to look more aesthetically pleasing may be needed after treatment, which brings up the total cost to about $1500.

Your periodontal disease treatment cost for a particular procedure can seem like a lot. Receding gums, in particular, may have more of an urgency to it. Receding gums can leave the teeth roots to be more exposed. As such, it can be difficult to eat foods that are hot or cold. The cause may not even come from periodontal disease but, rather, prescription medication. Even if the cause isn’t gum disease, it’s still important to consider this treatment.

What is Laser Gum Surgery?

Another on of the periodontal disease treatment options, this type of surgery uses a laser for precise removal of diseased gums while leaving the healthy part of your gums unharmed. Laser gum surgery has a lot of benefits over standard gum surgery. A couple of benefits includes laser surgery being less painful and taking less time. Traditional gum surgery poses the risk of healthy tissue being damaged, further elongating the healing time. Also, this method promotes the regeneration of your gums. Laser gum surgery is the alternative to deep cleaning if the latter doesn’t work.

What is LANAP?

LANAP is the name of a type of periodontal laser treatment that’s been approved by the FDA. It stands for Laser-assisted new attachment procedure. LANAP isn’t the only FDA-approved laser treatment for gums; there’s also REPaiR. It’s also known as deep-pocket therapy or DPT. Though their purpose is essentially the same, their execution is slightly different. Whereas LANAP focuses on healing particular areas of the gums, REPaiR just cuts off the infected bits.

This more advanced treatment is understandably more expensive, but the cost of not treating gum disease can be even greater.

How Much Does Laser Gum Treatment Cost?

The price you’ll pay will depend on certain factors, like the severity of your gum disease and how widespread the condition is. Regardless, the price will usually be a little higher than traditional gum surgery. The gum disease treatment cost would usually be about $1000 per quadrant for LANAP. This average price also applies to REPaiR. Your dental insurance may cover some of the costs. Just remember that the cost of periodontal disease treatment may be more of an investment that will save you money in the long run.

How Much is Gum Disease Treatment for Dental Implants?

Gum disease can occur even if you have dental implants. This is known as periimplantitis. Scaling and root planing has a price range of $275-$450. The average laser gum treatment cost can be between $350 and $650 for individual implants. For multiple, the price could total up to $2800. The cost of severe treatment and post-treatment maintenance is pretty much the same as regular teeth.

The gum disease treatment cost for dental implants involving receding or overgrown gums may not apply, as this is less likely to occur or be a problem with implants.

Will Your Insurance Cover Laser Periodontal Surgery?

Be it LANAP or REPaiR, your dental insurance most likely has standard coverage for this kind of laser surgery treatment. If the coverage is full, then you’ll most likely have to pay a deductible. If not, then the insurance will still cover a generous amount of your laser gum treatment cost. They can cover routine treatment for conditions like gingivitis, which is at least $85. Keep in mind the factors that can affect coverage, such as how much treatment is needed. Your laser gum treatment cost may increase due to much-needed maintenance done every few months.

Recovery After Laser Periodontal Surgery

There are some things the patient must and must not do while the body is healing the gums. You should avoid hard foods for a while. Even though certain parts should be left alone to heal, you can still brush and floss the parts of your mouth that weren’t treated. Do it gently, however. Seven days after your treatment, you could then start brushing the treated areas. Expect there to be some pain in your mouth for a while.

Though the gum disease treatment cost will be great, the resulting treatment can encourage you to eat healthier for a while.

How Long Does It Take To Heal?

The surface of your gums may seem to heal quickly. However, it could take months for the deeper levels to fully recover. You can help the healing process go smoothly and slightly faster if you take the right steps. For example, stick to eating softer foods. You can eat nutritious foods like fruit, but your dentist will give you specific instructions once the treatment is done.

The average cost of periodontal treatment may be scary. Leaving your periodontitis without trying to cure it would be much worse, though. There are major side effects that not only apply to your mouth but the rest of your body. If cost is an issue, then talk to your dentist about financing options. Remember that your dentist may try a deep cleaning first; laser periodontal treatment only comes as a last resort. If you really want to save money, and if you can help it, work hard to make sure you have good oral hygiene.

You may understandably have no control over this, which is why it’s important to know the gum disease treatment cost for various types of procedures.

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