What is LAPIP?
The LAPIP protocol is an effective treatment technique that uses lasers to remove infection and encourage tissue growth when peri-implantitis is present around a dental implant. Peri-implantitis is a condition of inflammation around a dental implant post; when untreated, it can cause the dental implant to fail. LAPIP, which stands for laser-assisted peri-implantitis protocol, is an advanced laser treatment used when the tissues that surround a dental implant become inflamed, which can cause the implant post to loosen and become unstable and compromise the integrity of an implant-based dental restoration. Treatment with LAPIP eliminates infection while encouraging the regrowth of the healthy bone and soft tissue that support dental implants and keep them stable. Treatment with LAPIP is minimally invasive and very effective, helping to regenerate healthy tissue and rebuild the foundation that secures dental implant restorations and keeps the smile healthy and strong.
Before the advanced technologies of LAPIP were available, the accepted treatment for dental implant failure was to remove the dental restoration, treat the affected tissues, and replace the restoration. This traditional process often required multiple treatments, including bone and tissue grafts that require thorough healing before new implants can be placed. While effective, this necessitates prolonged treatment and extended healing times. In more mild cases, removing damaged tissue can be sufficient to repair peri-implantitis and prevent implant failure, though traditional methods of clearing damaged tissue can also involve multiple office visits for treatment and follow-up. Removing damaged tissue with conventional methods usually takes around four sessions, each of which is about an hour in duration, and multiple follow-up visits are required. Treating peri-implantitis with LAPIP is non-invasive and can often be done in a single dental visit, saving time and money for the patient. LAPIP treatment is also less painful and less invasive than conventional procedures, restoring the stability of the dental implant and the health of the oral tissues with no surgical incisions or sutures and minimal treatment and healing times.
Treatment with LAPIP usually requires a single visit of about two hours, and recovery is most often completed within a day, if not less. LAPIP treatment is designed to save a dental implant and avoid implant failure, which is usually more cost-effective than revising a dental implant that has failed. Surgery to fix a failed implant commonly costs more than $3,000, while LAPIP is significantly less expensive than replacing a failed implant and aims to keep the implant from failing in the first place. During LAPIP treatment, the treatment area is first numbed with a local anesthetic. Once the area is numb, the dentist uses a specialized laser, called a PerioLase MVP-7, to evaporate infected tissue and bacteria before removing any additional debris or contaminants with an ultrasonic scaling tool. If needed, the dentist can also mildly modify the bone tissue with the laser, removing damage and stimulating the regeneration of healthy tissue, before using the laser to finally eliminate any remaining debris and encourage a healing clot to form around the implant. During healing, stem cells help the bone to regenerate and reattach to the implant post, creating a healthy, stable connection between the implant and the newly revitalized bone.