Q: I was told I need conventional gum surgery for 6mm pockets. I had double hip replacements a year ago and am concerned about the potential effects of the gum surgery. Amoxicillin will be prescribed for before and after, but he won’t use the laser, as he said the disease is down to the bone. Wouldn’t laser be better with my hip replacements?
A: We try to utilize laser periodontal surgery whenever possible. (Yes…it would be a more desirable method to treat your gum disease.) We routinely use the laser to treat patients who have prosthetic hips, knees, and other prosthetic body parts. Additionally, we follow the antibiotic guidelines to cover our patients to avoid any post-operative infection. We treat the bone with the laser so we are not concerned about any of the issues you have discussed.
