Here’s how Dr. William Aerni, of Aerni Dental, is preventing and treating gum disease
By Patricia Nugent
Since oral health and overall health are intrinsically connected, preventing tooth loss is integral for anyone planning to live a long and healthy life. Research has shown a healthy mouth free from infection can add 7 years to your life expectancy. One of the biggest threats to tooth loss is gum disease, which affects nearly 80% of adults. That’s why Dr. William Aerni of Aerni Dental has made it his mission to adopt the most advanced medical technology Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) to help reverse gum disease.
“Unfortunately, pain is not usually associated with early to moderate gum disease,” he explains. “By the time pain is associated with infection, your teeth become loose, and the infection would have broken down 70 to 90% of your supporting bone. The early signs of gum disease are redness, inflammation and localized bleeding gums. At this stage the early infection has already started to invade the gum and supporting bone of your dentition. Infections that live in the mouth can easily spread to the rest of the body through the bloodstream, eventually causing damage to other organ systems.” Recent research led by the National Institute of Aging suggests bacteria that cause gum disease are also associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, especially vascular dementia. The results were reported in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Early Detection Through Salivary Diagnostics
The ability to test a patient’s saliva for bacteria present in the mouth is a gamechanger for early detection and proactive treatment. This new test is called Oral DNA Labs. “Not only does this simple test tell us what type of pathogen is present, it also provides a graph showing the quantity of the bacteria that are present in the mouth at the time of the test. This gives a baseline marker for us as patients start treatment,” he says. “This helps measure the improvement of the infection as our patients undergo the process of healing.” This information is also a quantitative measurement for how the patient’s oral health is improving.
Laser Treatment Vaporizes Infection
Dr. Aerni has built his career by continually investing in the latest technology and FDA-approved Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) is a great example.
When he found out about the alternative to gum surgery, he researched its clinical trials, trained and became certified.
“Prior standard of treatment was scaling and root planing with anesthesia, incisions to remove infected bone and tissue, bone grafting with membranes and suturing to regenerate bone that was lost,” Dr. Aerni says. “This was an invasive procedure that now has been changed to a less invasive procedure with very little discomfort. LANAP has a huge upside in naturally regenerating your bone that was lost without the use of incisions, bone grafting materials, membranes or sutures. LANAP offers a more refined method of treatment. The wavelength of this fiber-optic laser selectively targets and vaporizes disease in the infected pocket without damaging the healthy tissue. It works with the body’s natural healing mechanisms by bio-stimulating the natural healing powers of your body for better outcomes and reversing the damage created by these bacteria that have invaded your dentition.”
Research has shown that patients who have undergone the LANAP procedure continue to regenerate healthy attachment for up to a-year-and-a-half after the procedure. Benefits include less downtime, less pain, less swelling and faster healing.
He mentions LANAP is usually done over two visits, addressing one half of the mouth at each visit.
Keeping Your Teeth for Life
For Dr. Aerni, saving patients’ teeth is personal.
“My father was one of those people who never went to the dentist,” he says, noting that an estimated half of adults do not visit a dentist annually. “While I was in dental school my father ended up losing all his teeth unnecessarily back in 1986 because of gum disease. All my grandparents lost their teeth and wore dentures, but they didn’t have to. With good oral care and following preventive measures, you should expect to keep your teeth for a lifetime.”
“Come and visit me for a free consultation,” he shares. “This may be your first step to saving your teeth and improving long-term healthy ageing with an infection-free healthy mouth.”
Aerni Dental is located at 11177 Pearl Road, in Strongsville, in its own brick building overlooking the Metroparks. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Aerni Dental team offers the full spectrum of dental care from general preventive dentistry to dental implants, same-day crowns, orthodontics and cosmetic enhancement. Call 440-390-3690 to discuss the many options available or visit AerniDental.com.