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LAPIP® Treatment for Failing Implants in Palatine, IL

For ailing and failing dental implants, the LAPIP™ protocol is the only patient-friendly, predictable laser treatment available. It runs on the same PerioLase® MVP-7™ laser as the LANAP® protocol, destroying the bacteria around an infected implant and encouraging bone regrowth, even for implants that other dentists have called “hopeless.”

Studies indicate that 95% of implants with peri-implantitis treated with the LAPIP™ protocol re-integrate in the pocket and stabilize, gaining bone growth of 3–8 threads.

Confident smile after LAPIP laser implant treatment at Regency Dental Care in Palatine, IL

Designed to save implants

Halts peri-implant disease in its tracks, wipes out the bacteria driving the inflammation, and encourages new bone to grow around the implant.

Patient friendly

No cutting, no stitches, no foreign materials or growth factors. You get less recession, less recovery time, and less discomfort than traditional implant rescue procedures bring.

First-line treatment

Because LAPIP® is a no-risk option, it leaves every other treatment path open. Bringing peri-implant disease under control is what makes saving and protecting your implant investment possible.

Implant feeling loose, painful, or inflamed? Treat peri-implantitis sooner and we can save more of your bone.

Peri-Implant Disease Mimics Gum Disease

An implant itself cannot become diseased, but the tissue around the implant certainly can become infected. Peri-implant disease follows the same arc as gum disease: it opens with peri-mucositis (minor inflammation around the implant) and, if ignored, progresses to peri-implantitis, where the bone supporting the implant erodes and the implant works loose.

That first wave of inflammation can be set off by several things, including periodontal bacteria already present, foreign material wedged in the gums around the implant, and even implant connectors that misalign.

Signs of Moderate-to-Advanced Peri-Implantitis

  • Gums that look swollen around the implant
  • Implant mobility, where the implant feels loose
  • Bleeding from the gums at the implant site
  • A shift in the color of the gum tissue around the implant
  • Gums that have become highly sensitive
  • Implant exposure, as receding gums stop covering the implant or crown
  • Pain at the implant site, anywhere from mild to severe
  • Pus seeping from the tissues around the implant

How LAPIP® Helps

  • Targets only the diseased tissue and leaves healthy tissue intact
  • Clears the infection without any antibiotics
  • Helps preserve the height of the tissue around the implant
  • Keeps pain and discomfort low during and after treatment
  • Seals the periodontal pocket so healing can begin
  • Most patients are done in just one appointment
  • Safe for medically compromised patients, those on blood thinners, or with diabetes

The LAPIP™ Treatment Procedure

We carry out the LAPIP™ procedure in our Palatine office under local anesthetic, often at the same visit as your diagnosis. Since every visit is built around patient education and comfort, our team explains each step before we start and sends you home with detailed care instructions for the best possible recovery.

Step by Step

  1. We fully numb the area with local anesthetic
  2. Depending on the implant, the crown may come off to give us access
  3. The PerioLase® MVP-7™ vaporizes bacteria, diseased tissue, and titanium corrosion contaminants in the soft tissue
  4. An ultrasonic scaler clears hardened debris from the implant surface
  5. The bone is gently modified to release stem cells
  6. The laser seals the pocket against re-infection and supports regeneration
  7. Your bite is adjusted for healing and long-term stability

After Your LAPIP® Visit

  • Leave the treated area free of brushing or flossing for the first week
  • Keep to a soft diet for the prescribed amount of time
  • Avoid smoking and tobacco throughout recovery
  • Take any prescribed medications exactly as directed
  • Come to every follow-up visit so we can monitor healing and make any small adjustments

Frequently Asked Questions

Peri-implantitis is an infection that takes hold around a dental implant. The gums may turn red, inflamed, or start receding, and as the infection wears on it causes bone loss that can leave the implant loose and eventually falling out.

Both are infections around the implant, but at different stages. Peri-mucositis is the early, soft-tissue phase with no bone loss yet, while peri-implantitis is the more advanced stage where bone loss has set in.

Untreated, the infection goes on destroying the supporting bone. The implant loosens and may fall out, and the infection can reach the natural teeth surrounding it.

As with gum disease, no single cause is to blame. Contributors include poor oral care, teeth grinding, diabetes, osteoporosis, a compromised immune system, smoking, and a previous diagnosis of periodontal disease.

Most patients feel far less discomfort than traditional implant rescue surgery causes. The procedure is done under local anesthesia, and with no cutting or suturing, any post-operative discomfort is usually mild and short-lived.

Many dental insurance plans cover LAPIP® under their periodontal surgery benefits. We'll help you make sense of your specific coverage and give you a written treatment plan with costs before any work begins, plus financing options for any out-of-pocket portion.

Don't write off an ailing implant. Find out whether LAPIP® can save it before you consider removal.