Charleston Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry, LLC

Adults who have just been told they have gum disease, and are quietly dreading what comes next, are a large share of what this practice handles. Charleston Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry sits at 1040 Savannah Highway in West Ashley, a couple of minutes past the Ashley River bridges, and it is one of the few general offices on that stretch of Highway 17 that keeps laser periodontal therapy in-house instead of referring it out to a specialist.

Periodontal patients are a distinct group to treat because the disease is quiet. It rarely hurts, it progresses over years, and the attachment between root and bone that it dissolves is not rebuilt by the body on its own — so people commonly arrive having been watched through several rounds of bleeding gums without anyone naming the problem plainly. That history matters clinically, not only emotionally: gum treatment succeeds or fails on whether someone keeps returning for maintenance visits, and a patient who felt fobbed off once tends not to come back.

The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, or LANAP, is offered here alongside conventional scaling and root planing, and it is a defined sequence rather than a single pass. The laser is first run through the pocket at a setting absorbed by its inflamed, pigmented lining, clearing diseased tissue and bacteria while healthy gum is left alone. The root surfaces are then cleaned with ultrasonic instruments, and the laser makes a second pass at a different setting to form a stable clot that seals the pocket against the root. The bite is usually adjusted afterwards, because a tooth taking a heavy contact while new attachment is forming will not keep it. The work is generally split across two half-mouth appointments, and for moderate pockets scaling and root planing on its own remains the sensible first step.

Dr. Hannah A. Hales, DMD and Dr. Scott R. Cayouette, DMD, FAGD also cover the general and restorative side: checkups, cleanings, sealants, mouth guards, root canal treatment, extractions, bridges, dentures, veneers, and Invisalign clear aligners. One honest caveat on veneers — porcelain does not respond to bleaching agents, so if you plan to whiten, do it first and let the colour settle before the shade is chosen. Hours run 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00am to noon on Friday, and most insurance is accepted, including Medicare Advantage plans.