Laser Gum Therapy · San Ramon
The laser does one job here, and it does it well
An optional addition to a deep cleaning, not a replacement for one. That distinction is the whole of it, and a lot of practices blur it.
Who this is for
- You are booked for a deep cleaning and want to know what the laser adds
- Gums that bleed heavily whenever they are cleaned
- You have been quoted laser gum treatment elsewhere and want a second view
- Previous periodontal treatment that left you sore for days
What it actually does
A fine fiber is traced through the periodontal pocket after scaling. The laser energy is absorbed by the pigmented bacteria and the inflamed soft tissue lining the pocket — the part instruments physically cannot reach, because a curette cleans the root surface, not the tissue wall opposite it.
It also seals small blood vessels as it goes, which is why the bleeding stops during the appointment rather than after it.
That is the entire mechanism. It takes a few extra minutes per quadrant, needs no additional anesthetic beyond what you already have, and most patients feel nothing at all.
What the evidence supports, and what it doesn't
We are going to be more careful here than most practices are, because this is an area with a lot of overselling.
What patients reliably report, and what we see: markedly less bleeding during the appointment, and noticeably less soreness that evening and the following day. Those effects are consistent enough that we use it as standard rather than as an upsell.
What the research is genuinely equivocal about: whether adding a diode laser to scaling and root planing produces meaningfully greater long-term pocket depth reduction than scaling alone. Some studies show a modest additional benefit. Systematic reviews are mixed. Anyone telling you it is settled science is overstating it.
So we present it as what it is — a comfort and healing benefit with a possible clinical one, included in the price rather than sold as a premium tier.
This is not laser gum surgery
There are surgical laser protocols for advanced periodontal disease, performed by periodontists using a different type of laser and aimed at regenerating lost bone and attachment. Those are a genuinely different procedure at a genuinely different price.
What we offer is a diode laser used alongside non-surgical treatment. A diode cannot cut bone and cannot perform regenerative surgery — the physics does not allow it, whatever anyone claims.
We spell this out because the two get conflated constantly in dental marketing, and patients end up paying surgical prices for adjunctive treatment. If your case genuinely needs surgical periodontal work, we will refer you to a periodontist rather than approximate it with the wrong instrument.
What to expect
Here’s how the visit actually goes.
No surprises. That’s the whole idea.
01
Offered with your deep cleaning
We will explain what it adds and what it costs before we start, and you decide. Declining it does not change the cleaning itself.
02
Protective eyewear
Everyone in the room wears it. Non-negotiable, takes five seconds.
03
The pass itself
A fine fiber traced through each pocket after scaling. Quiet, no vibration, and for most patients entirely painless.
04
That evening
The part people notice — considerably less soreness than they were expecting, and less bleeding when they brush.
05
Re-measured at six weeks
We chart again to see what actually changed, rather than assuming it worked.
Questions
Answered before you ask.
Does the laser replace the deep cleaning?
No, and be skeptical of anyone who suggests it might. The mechanical removal of hardened deposit from the root surface is the treatment. The laser is an adjunct to it. Used alone it would leave the actual cause in place.
Is this the same as laser gum surgery?
No. Surgical laser periodontal treatment uses a different type of laser, is performed by a periodontist, and aims to regenerate lost bone. We use a diode laser alongside non-surgical treatment. If your case needs the surgical version, we will refer you.
Does it cost extra?
Yes — $50 per quadrant, and most insurers do not cover it. You are welcome to decline it. The deep cleaning is the treatment; the laser is an adjunct that makes it more comfortable.
Will it hurt?
You are already numb from the scaling, and most patients report feeling nothing from the laser pass itself — occasionally a slight warmth. The noticeable difference is afterwards, when there is less soreness than people expect.
How many appointments?
The same as the deep cleaning it accompanies — usually two, occasionally four for more advanced cases, then a re-measure at six weeks.
In their words
Thirty years of families who stayed.
Every quote below is a patient's own, unedited, from our reviews.
“We LOVE LOVE LOVE Avalon Dental! Dr. B is the best dentist we’ve ever gone to”
Cassondra H. “Dr B. always does a great job and you don’t feel the work getting done”
Marie T. “The staff always make my experiences with them the best and most comfortable”
Rebecca C.