Periodontal Maintenance
When you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, the proper treatment to keep this disease under control is called periodontal maintenance. Periodontal disease can become so severe that it can be the reason a person loses all their teeth and must be fitted with dentures. At StarBrite Dental, we have the expertise and dental technology to keep this damaging form of gum disease under control, preventing severe consequences.
About Gum Disease
Gum disease starts when the teeth begin to pull away from the teeth slightly. While gums are supposed to be attached tightly to the teeth, this separation means that there will be loose pockets around the teeth. Bacteria love these warm, dark pockets and begin to form colonies. These colonies gradually cause further deterioration of the gums, more separation and deeper pockets. Infections begin to form in these pockets. The bone around these pockets begins to erode and tooth loss can follow.
Gum Trivia
Your gums are actually divided into three separate types!
Marginal Gums
This portion of the gum is the part that reaches up, or down, creating something of a collar around each tooth.
Attached Gums
Found just below the marginal gums, this part of your gums works with the periodontal ligament to form a tight bond around each tooth.
Interdental Gums
This is the part of the gums that sits directly between the teeth, forming the “gumscape” surrounding your smile, so to speak.
What Is Periodontal Maintenance?
If gum disease is not caught and reversed early, it cannot be completely cured. Periodontal maintenance is a process of cleaning under the gum line of the teeth every three months for as long as our patient has teeth. This periodontal treatment keeps the disease under control. Maintaining this regular schedule of periodontal maintenance is vital to keep gum disease from threatening your oral health.
The treatment is
called scaling and root planing. Scaling is similar to the kind of tartar removal you experience at regular preventative dental visits but this scaling takes place below the gum line. Root planing also takes place below the gum line, and involves smoothing the roots of the teeth to remove any rough areas. Without these rough areas, bacteria have a harder time creating new colonies.
When we provide periodontal maintenance treatment for our patients, we never take any shortcuts. We only know one way to provide this kind of care: provide thorough treatment using the most proven products and techniques that will bring oral health to the highest level possible.
Why Is Periodontal Maintenance Needed Every Three Months?
By providing scaling and root planing every three months, we keep bacteria from being able to establish harmful colonies. It takes about 120 days for a colony to develop to the point of harming your teeth and gums.
Our insistence on the highest level of technical quality means that we want to make sure that your gum disease is completely under control. Every time we examine your teeth and gums, we will look for any sign of problems. We will tell you what we find and educate you on what our findings mean. Finally, we will advise you on the best way to preserve your oral health.
What Can Happen If Periodontal Disease Is Not Controlled?
If the bacteria and biofilm are not cleaned out of periodontal pockets on a regular basis, the gums become more and more septic. Infections can begin to make the gums red and sore. Abscesses can develop. It can be painful to chew or bite food. Gradually, the teeth will begin to loosen and may be lost.
But the effects of periodontal disease extend far beyond the teeth and gums. Untreated periodontal disease can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack, heart disease or stroke. It can also become harder to control blood sugar.
At home, you can help keep gum disease under control with excellent oral hygiene practices. We will help you understand the best way to prevent gum disease with a good at-home oral hygiene regimen.
What Our Patients Are Saying About Us
Maintaining Oral Health at StarBrite Dental
The dental practitioners and staff at StarBrite Dental want the very best for your health. We want to help you maintain the highest level of oral health that supports your overall health and helps you retain every tooth. We use our expertise and experience every day to provide the highest quality of care for every patient we see.
We start with providing expert preventative treatment and caring education for every patient. We ensure that our dental practitioners and staff are highly trained to provide the best quality service at every step of your care in our practice. From our front desk staff and administrators to all our general dentists and specialists in our offices here in Rockville, MD, we are here for your ideal oral health.
Don’t let gum disease steal away your beautiful smile or your health. If you are suffering from periodontal disease, we can help. From our expertly trained dental hygienists to our periodontal specialist and oral surgeon, we have the skills to restore your health and help you maintain it. If you are in the Rockville, MD area, please contact us for skillful and caring periodontal treatment and periodontal maintenance.
"I came here in February for a new patient appointment. I had been avoiding the dentist for 25 years and I knew I had quite the situation in my mouth. I wanted to get it taken care of and StarBrite helped me do that. The staff is very friendly with ability to immediately service their patients. I found out that I had periodontal disease as well as other dental issues. My hygiene appointments with Cherise have been excellent. Dr. Akmal extracted a few of my teeth. 5 to be exact. The extractions were PAINLESS. He is a true gentle man.
Dr. Seifi and Dr. Ledoux are very honest and straight to the point. They will tell you in the worst situation what needs to be done and are very helpful in explaining what treatment they recommend. Very glad I came to this office."
- Mike R.
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*We DO NOT ACCEPT HMO Insurance, State Insurance, Medicaid/Medicare, or discount plans. Fees apply for services.
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(301) 770-1070
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301-888-5785
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