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Q: What do you want to know about….for now I’ll talk about cleanings

Silverman & Associates University Dental Family Dentistry

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A: First off I want to make sure these posts are helpful and answer the questions about dentistry that you have. With that in mind, please send me your questions at askdrsiegel@gmail.com. Each month I’ll use your questions to guide the topics of my posts.

So I know the topic sounds boring, but it’s very important. Last month I talked about the importance of just going to the dentist, but I have to stress getting a cleaning while you are there is just as important! A cleaning every six months helps keep your “periodontium”(gums and bone) healthy. When you skip these cleanings, you’re at risk of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (inflammation of the gums along with loss of bone structure). As these conditions progress the teeth can loosen, cause pain, and will eventually need to be taken out.

There are a couple of types of cleanings. There’s a “Prophy” which is your typical cleaning every six months when you have a healthy mouth. Then there’s a Debridement” which is given when a patient hasn’t been to the dentist in may years and has gross amount of plaque and calculus build up. This surface cleaning gives the hygienist and dentist access to the periodontium so they can provide a thorough exam (the plaque/calculus can mask certain conditions of the teeth such as cavities and poor gum health). There’s also “Scaling and Root Planning (SRP)”which is performed when you have gingivitis/periodontitis. Basically there is more plaque and calculus build up under the gums, so it is necessary to get your gums numb so we can go underneath and clean up those areas. This is performed over two visits and flowed up by “Periodontal maintenance” cleanings every three or four months. These cleanings are similar to Prophy but these cleanings are more often until the gums recover to a more healthy state, at which time b you can go back to Prophies every six months. Before the type of cleaning is decided, during the exam, Periodontal Probing is performed. This is when you hear the hygienist call out numbers”323 434 545…”There are little pockets between your teeth and we are literally measuring those pockets in millimeters. The larger the pocket, the more that plaque and calculus can build up in those pockets and therefore unhealthy periodontium!

Hopefully this helped clear up any confusion you had regarding the variations of cleanings. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get your cleanings. Regardless of how great your oral care at home is, we all need cleanings at least every six months and that includes me too! Yes I build up plaque and calculus as well! If you are due, go get that cleaning and take care of those teeth so that you can spend Saturday night with your significant other a great meal and a glass of your favorite cocktail – at least that’s what I’ll be doing with my freshly cleaned teeth!

drsilvermanassociates.com 

Silverman & Associates University Dental Family Dentistry

Bellmore - 2592 Merrick Rd., Ste C, 516-781-9700

Bayside - 43-07 214th Place, 718-225-0515

Hello readers of The Herald!

My name is Dr. Matthew Siegel and I am a general dentist currently practicing at Silverman & Associates in Bellmore and Bayside. I grew up in Marlboro, NJ before becoming a Terp at the University of Maryland where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science with an emphasis in Microbiology in 2008. Following college, I spent a year at the University of Connecticut Health Center studying gender differences in stroke and co-authored several publications. I then attended dental school at New York University, where I earned the Dr. Bernard E. Rudner Memorial Award for Demonstrating Superior Performance in Providing Oral Comprehensive Care and Administering a Dental Practice. I graduated dental school in 2013 and spent the next year at Lutheran Medical Center for a one year General Practice Residency. At the end of my residency I was honored to be awarded Resident of the Year. After all these great educational experiences I joined my father-in-law, Dr. Barry Silverman, at Silverman & Associates.

Dr. Silverman has been in practice for over 30 years in Bayside and over 15 years in Bellmore. He has spent his whole career only providing the best dental care in a comfortable, calm, and fun environment. The fun environment means a lot to me and I was excited to join his practices in the summer of 2014.  At Silverman & Associates family is very important to us, as you can see we are father-in-law and son-in-law working side by side. With that in mind we treat all of our patients like family as well.  Another goal of ours is to be your “one stop shop” for all your dental needs. We have three general dentists, two endodontists, one orthodontist, four hygienists, the best assistants, and the friendliest front desk staff ready to help you and all your dental needs. We can guarantee that you will always be greeted with a smile and treated with only the finest of dental care.