Gum disease affects up to 80% of the adult population but most people don't realize they have it.
The most common symptom is recurring bad breath and for thousands in Kentuckiana there's a solution.
“I didn't want to lose my teeth, i have people in my family who at my age, they're wearing dentures,” said Rochelle Andrews who says she feels like a teenager again thanks to her new smile.
“I feel like I’ve got the mouth I had when I was 16, my gums are pink.”
And she credits a laser procedure called lanap that's gaining in popularity.
Dr. Thomas Wheeler said, “It's the only FDA cleared procedure for treating gum disease.”
Periodontal, or gum, disease is the breakdown of the connection between gums and teeth affecting about half the adult population.
“Bleeding gums is a big sign you need to at least be checked out, loose teeth is a big thing,” said Wheeler.
Andrews said, “Before I noticed puffy gums, it’s the smell of your breath. That's the kicker because it smells unlike anything I can describe.”
Gum disease isn't always visible, as you can see in pictures of Rochelle's gums before she sought help for bad breath. But others are scared and embarrassed by teeth that have been damaged by factors like bacteria, smoking, and diabetes.
Dr. Wheeler said, “If they have teeth, you're not the worst case situation. The worst case is to let it go too long where you lose all your teeth.”
Wheeler says lanap is successful because it allows the body to sort of heal itself.
The laser kills bacteria and regenerates nerves in the gums leading the gums to bleed and get sticky, re-attaching themselves to teeth. Over the course of several visits, Wheeler says he's able to reverse years of damage.
“The laser just sort of, I try to describe it as, seeing out in the old west a place that was overtaken by a bunch of bandits and the law comes through and cleans them all out.”
And Rochelle says she's happy being the poster child for the treatment.
“I don’t have smell, period, I have new gums, I have good-looking teeth, I have fresh breath, I mean, I’m confident everywhere I go.”
Local anesthesia is given so patients say the procedure is relatively pain-free.
It costs about $5000.
