Our gum disease treatment at Twin Rivers Periodontics combines specialist expertise with advanced techniques to stop disease, protect your smile, and promote long‑term oral health.
You can get expert gum disease treatment with Dr. Molina. As a periodontist, he is a specialist in treating gum disease and the supporting bone and gum tissue. Your treatment starts with a comprehensive periodontal evaluation, including 3D imaging and full-mouth X-rays, to assess the extent of the gum disease and any bone loss.
Dr. Molina’s first line of attack on gum disease is non-invasive laser treatment—LANAP. Laser therapy can not only effectively treat all stages of gum disease but also stimulate the regeneration of any lost bone and ligaments. In many cases, laser therapy can stop gum disease and restore periodontal health without the need for surgery.
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a chronic bacterial infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth.
Dr. Molina starts gum disease treatment with laser therapy. He uses the LANAP (Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure) protocol and a Millennium laser—the only FDA-approved device for minimally invasive treatment of gum disease.
This advanced laser targets and removes diseased gum tissue and bacteria while leaving healthy tissue intact. It also stimulates healing and encourages the regeneration of bone and gum tissue, making it effective for mild, moderate and severe cases of gum disease.
LANAP is a non-invasive form of periodontal treatment. It requires no incisions, no flaps, no sutures. There’s little post-treatment discomfort and almost no recovery time.
LANAP is usually completed in one or two appointments, and for many patients, this resolves their gum disease. Dr. Molina typically conducts a follow-up evaluation 12 months later and addresses any residual disease.
Dr. Molina uses a multi-step approach for patients with severe gum disease, characterized by significant bone loss and inflammation.
Dr. Molina’s first objective is to control the infection and inflammation in order to allow healing to occur. He begins treatment with laser therapy to reduce deep bacterial infection, calm active inflammation and stimulate regeneration of bone and ligaments. He also physically stabilizes any loose teeth to allow the supporting structures to regrow. For the first year, patients visit Dr. Molina every two months to monitor inflammation, repeating laser therapy as necessary.
If the infection is persistent, Dr. Molina uses flap surgery to access the deep pockets that remain inflamed—thoroughly disinfecting and cleaning the root surfaces to allow the gum pockets to reattach to the tooth.
Dr. Molina uses guided tissue regeneration to help build lost bone and ligaments that support the tooth. Guided tissue regeneration works by placing a protective barrier that physically guides bone growth around the tooth, preventing the gums from growing into the area so bone and supporting tissues can regrow where they’re needed.
Our surgical microscope enhances visualization for precise, less invasive flap surgery and accurate placement of bone graft materials during guided tissue regeneration.
Advanced gum disease is a chronic source of inflammation, and ongoing infection in the gums can place added stress on the body and is associated with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Controlling gum disease reduces the inflammatory load on the body.
Conditions such as diabetes, smoking or vaping, immune disorders, and certain medical treatments can increase inflammation and make gum disease more difficult to control. These same factors can also affect how well the gums and bone heal after treatment.
For this reason, Dr. Molina carefully considers each patient’s overall health when diagnosing and treating periodontitis. Understanding the whole-body connection allows him to tailor treatment plans, set appropriate recall intervals and manage more advanced cases more effectively.
