Periodontal Maintenance in Hewlett

What Is a Periodontal Maintenance Program?

Periodontal maintenance refers to procedures that are designed to maintain the health of your gums. Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is a bacterial infection of the gums that occurs when there is excessive buildup of plaque on the teeth. The plaque hardens into calculus and infects the gum tissue, resulting in red, swollen, and irritated gums that may even bleed.

A complete periodontal maintenance program should consist of 3 parts:

• Home care. It is important to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day to maintain your oral health between professional cleanings.
• Oral examination. You should have an oral examination by your dentist at least every 6 months, but possibly more often if you are battling existing gum disease.
• Dental cleaning. Periodontal maintenance typically includes a deep cleaning of your teeth that goes under the gums to remove plaque and calculus. This may be needed every 6 months or more frequently depending on the situation.

Benefits of Periodontal Maintenance Program

• Treat existing gum disease. Periodontal maintenance treats gum disease, providing relief of your symptoms and improving your gum health.
• Prevent recurring gum disease. Participating in a periodontal maintenance program helps keep your gum disease from coming back.
• Improve overall health. Periodontal health promotes overall health and wellness, reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and some types of cancer.
• Convenient. You can receive periodontal maintenance right here in our office where you already come for general dental care.
• Flexible scheduling. We provide flexible scheduling so that your periodontal maintenance program can fit into your busy lifestyle.

Why Choose Hewlett Dental Excellence?

Periodontal health is a crucial part of your oral health. The gums are an important support structure for your teeth. When the gums are not healthy, the teeth are unsupported. This may cause them to loosen or even fall out.

For your convenience, we provide periodontal maintenance in our office without needing to refer you to a periodontist. Dr. Wolff and the dental team are qualified to provide periodontal services in addition to general dentistry.

We believe that oral health is closely tied to your overall wellness. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and even cancer. Through our periodontal maintenance program, we treat the whole patient with the goal of improving your health and quality of life.

Procedures Offered

• Scaling & Root Planing. Scaling is the process of removing plaque and calculus from the teeth and roots. Root planing smooths the surface of the roots so that the gum tissue can reattach more firmly, preventing pockets for plaque to gather under the gums.
• Gingival Grafts. Gum disease can cause receding gums, meaning the gum tissue pulls away from the teeth. This can cause sensitivity and leave your roots exposed to decay. Gingival grafts replace lost gum tissue.
• Periodontal Splinting. Chronic gum disease can result in loose teeth. Periodontal splinting secures the loose teeth while the support structures heal and tighten back down around them.
• Crown Lengthening. Excess gum tissue over the teeth can increase your risk of gum disease. Crown lengthening removes excess gum tissue to reduce this risk. It may also be done for cosmetic purposes to make a gummy smile look more natural.
• Bone Grafting. Bone grafting is a procedure used to restore lost bone tissue in the jaw. A bone fragment is placed under the gums on top of the existing bone to thicken it and encourage regeneration of bone tissue.
• Osseous Surgery/Pocket Depth Reduction. Osseous Surgery, also known as pocket depth reduction, is a procedure used to reshape the jaw bone where there is damage from gum disease. Chronic gum disease can cause pockets to develop between the gums and teeth. Osseous surgery eliminates these pockets to reduce the risk of recurring gum disease.
• Bone Regeneration and Ridge Preservation. When a tooth needs to be extracted, the socket can quickly deteriorate. Ridge preservation involves the placement of a bone fragment to prevent bone loss in the socket.
• Biopsy. Abnormalities of the gum tissue could require biopsy to check for the presence of oral cancer. We provide biopsy procedures when needed.