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Periodontal Disease
Healthy Smiles Start with Healthy Gums

Our periodontist offers personalized gum disease treatment to help get your oral health back on track.

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Periodontal Disease

It is difficult to overstate the threat that periodontal disease poses to your oral health, general health, and well-being. Also referred to as gum disease or gingivitis, this bacterial infection can be highly destructive and can eventually lead to tooth loss if left untreated.

As a periodontist in Washington, Dr. Rustin Levy sees the effects that gum disease has on his patients’ oral health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly half of all US adults over age 30 have some form of periodontal disease; over age 65, the rate increases to about 70 percent.

Dr. Levy recognizes that taking the first step to restore your gum health may be a challenge that prevents you from seeking treatment. Rest assured that we are caring professionals who are sensitive to your feelings. Our only goal is to provide the supportive care and treatment you need to get your smile healthy again. We congratulate you on being proactive by visiting our website, and we look forward to helping you.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects your gums and, eventually, the bone and structures that support your teeth. Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease and is often reversible with prompt treatment and improved oral hygiene.

Without treatment, gingivitis advances to periodontitis and starts to break down the bone and structures that support your teeth. Your teeth become mobile, and you may eventually experience tooth loss. While it is possible to treat periodontitis, any bone loss that occurs is irreversible.

There are numerous risk factors for gum disease, including age, smoking, medications, teeth grinding, and systemic conditions like diabetes.

Why Is Periodontal Disease So Widespread?

Gum disease is highly preventable with proper dental care and easy to treat in its earliest stages. So why does it affect so many people?

Part of the answer is that gum disease may produce no symptoms, or they may be so mild that they go unnoticed. To help prevent it from damaging your oral health, look for the following signs of gum disease:

  • Bleeding gums when you brush and floss
  • Swollen, inflamed, or puffy gum tissue
  • Receding gums
  • Teeth that feel loose to touch
  • A change in the way your teeth feel when you bite down
  • Chronic bad breath that won’t go away with oral hygiene

Missed dental hygiene appointments and poor oral hygiene are other problems that allow gum disease to take hold. You may not notice mild symptoms, but your hygienist will spot it during a routine teeth cleaning.

Gum Disease & The Mouth-Body Connection

It is crucial to take periodontal disease seriously because your oral health is a window to your general health. What happens in your mouth affects your body, and vice versa.

One example is diabetes, which increases your risk of developing gum disease. But it’s also been shown that those with chronic gum disease are at increased risk of developing diabetes.

Gum disease and inflammation have been scientifically linked with numerous conditions, including:

  • Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Heart disease
  • Respiratory disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Low birthweight babies

This is only a partial listing, and researchers continue to find new body-mouth connections.

You Don’t Need a Referral!

You don’t need a referral to schedule an appointment with a periodontist in Washington. If you have concerns about your gum health, Dr. Levy will be happy to evaluate your needs and report them back to your general dentist.

Please call Advanced Periodontics of Washington at (202) 524-4863, and a member of our dental team will be happy to help you schedule an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we do. If your dentist has referred you to Dr. Levy for advanced gum disease treatment, they often request that we continue treating you during the maintenance phase. These appointments are similar to the dental cleanings you receive from a hygienist.

Since our periodontist is monitoring you, however, he will also re-examine your periodontal findings to ensure you are in stable conditions. If Dr. Levy detects anything new, he will send his findings in a report to your dentist for further evaluation and treatment if necessary.

Maintenance cleanings at our Washington dental office are crucial and should be viewed as part of your overall treatment plan. Even if your gums look and feel okay, you shouldn’t skip even one of these follow-up maintenance cleanings. You have already taken the important first step of seeking advanced treatment for periodontitis; the last thing you want now is to set back your progress and put your teeth and gums at further risk.

If you are due for a dental cleaning and suspect you have periodontal disease, you are welcome to call Advanced Periodontics of Washington directly. Dr. Levy will be happy to perform a preliminary exam, report the findings back to your dentist, and provide treatment if indicated.

Call us at (202) 524-4863, and a member of our dental team will be happy to assist you.

Bleeding gums is one of the common symptoms of gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Gingivitis develops when bacteria-filled plaque and tartar buildup along your gums and cause an infection. Along with bleeding gums, swollen, inflamed, or tender gums are all your body’s way of fighting the infection.

Gingivitis is easily treatable by a dental hygienist using a thorough teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar buildup. You will also need to improve your brushing and flossing skills, as a heavy plaque buildup is usually a sign of inadequate or improper oral hygiene. 

Without treatment, the plaque buildup causes spaces to open up between your teeth and gums. These are called periodontal pockets, and they are a problem because bacteria get trapped, and the infection starts attacking the bones and structures that support your teeth.

This stage is called periodontitis, and in many cases, Dr. Levy can treat it with a non-surgical deep cleaning procedure. After the deep cleaning, also referred to as scaling and root planing, you will require more frequent maintenance cleanings at our Washington dental office to maintain your gum health.

In advanced cases of periodontitis, we may recommend periodontal pocket surgery. We understand the idea of any gum surgery can be intimidating, but please put your fears to rest. You couldn’t find a more compassionate or genuine group of professionals than Dr. Levy and his caring dental team. 

If you notice symptoms of gum disease, call Advanced Periodontics of Washington so we can provide the prompt treatment you need.

Your dentist and hygienist help you maintain healthy gums with routine dental cleanings every six months. However, once gum disease advances to a certain stage, they may refer you to a periodontist in Washington, DC like Dr. Levy.

Periodontology is a specialty area that deals with the structures that support your teeth and the diseases that affect them, as well as dental implant placement. Additionally, Dr. Levy is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, a distinction awarded to periodontists who make significant achievements beyond the mandatory educational requirements for the specialty.

For this reason, Dr. Levy is able to offer advanced gum disease treatment that many dentists can’t, such as periodontal pocket reduction surgery. A periodontist also specializes in dental implants and performs bone grafting and sinus augmentation procedures in preparation for implants. Because the look of your smile is important, Dr. Levy also offers cosmetic gum surgery, including soft tissue grafts for gum recession, gingival recontouring, and treatment for "gummy" smiles.

It is common to have concerns if you have been referred to a periodontist. What's going to happen? Will you need gum surgery? If you do, will it hurt? These questions tell us that it's the fear of the unknown that produces the most anxiety.

Here at Advanced Periodontics of Washington, we are sensitive to these concerns. We address any fears by explaining what you can expect during the procedure and answering all your questions. You will find that Dr. Levy and his team are compassionate and caring and make your comfort a priority.

You don't need a referral to see our periodontist, so you can call us directly at (202) 524-4863 to schedule an appointment. We are also pleased to serve patients in Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Arlington, and Alexandria. 

The amount covered by your insurance for dental implants and gum treatment is determined by your employer's plan. We know that trying to understand your out-of-pocket costs can be confusing, but we are here to help you. Our knowledgeable dental team will work with your insurance company to get as accurate an estimate as possible of what you will pay for dental implants and gum care.

It gets trickier with dental implants because placing them involves several steps. Tooth extraction in preparation for implants is considered a basic procedure, and your insurance plan is likely to cover part of the cost. If you require bone grafting to get the implant, however, some plans will cover it, and others won’t. 

Placing your implant in your jawbone is a major procedure, and some insurances may cover a portion of it. Your implant crown restores function and appearance to your smile, and while some plans cover it as they would a regular crown, others don’t.

Periodontal treatments are also a bit of a grey area because routine teeth cleanings are typically covered, but advanced procedures like gum surgery may or may not be covered.

As you can see, there’s no easy answer, and it all comes back to your insurance carrier. Rest assured that we will review your coverage and ensure you get the maximum benefit you’re entitled to. We also offer CareCredit low-interest and no-interest financing.

If you have questions about your insurance or financing, please call Advanced Periodontics of Washington so we can assist you.

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Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Rustin Levy

"I am sincerely interested in helping you reach and maintain optimal dental health. My way of doing that is to make your office experience one filled with comfort, confidence, and compassion. I want your time at the office to be a pleasant, rewarding, and educational experience. I will work with you as a team to achieve these goals." - Dr. Levy

Dr. Rustin Levy is a graduate of Tulane University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He received his Certificate in Periodontics ...

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Periodontal Disease Technology

Digital Records

At Advanced Periodontics of Washington, we use digital-record keeping to maintain an up-to-date overview of your oral and general health. Digital records ensure that all your private information is safely stored on our secure in-house network but are readily available as needed for reference and to monitor ongoing conditions.

Having easy access to your patient history helps streamline your appointment and allows us to easily share your records with your general dentist.

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