{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a periodontist and what does their specialist training cover?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A periodontist holds an MDS in Periodontics, three years of postgraduate training focused on the gums, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone that support teeth, as well as dental implant placement and soft-tissue surgery. Their clinical scope covers the full spectrum of periodontal disease: from managing early reversible gingivitis to complex bone regeneration procedures and implant placement in periodontally compromised patients." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does periodontal treatment by a specialist differ from routine dental cleaning?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Routine professional cleaning removes tartar above the gum line and manages gum health in patients with no bone loss. Scaling and root planing, the core periodontal therapy, accesses below-gum bacterial deposits and smooths the root surface to allow tissue reattachment. It is performed under local anaesthesia by a trained periodontist. This distinction matters: routine cleaning does not treat established periodontitis. Under-treating gum disease as if it were simply 'needing a clean' allows irreversible bone loss to continue." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do periodontists stage and grade gum disease?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Clove Dental's periodontists use the 2017 AAP/EFP classification system. Staging (I–IV) describes severity: bone loss percentage, pocket depths, tooth loss attributable to periodontitis. Grading (A–C) describes rate of progression and risk factors: smoking, diabetes, and patient response to previous therapy. This evidence-based classification guides treatment intensity and maintenance interval, replacing the older outdated mild/moderate/severe classification that produced inconsistent treatment decisions." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When does gum disease require surgical treatment rather than deep cleaning alone?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Surgical intervention is indicated when residual pockets deeper than 5–6mm persist after thorough non-surgical scaling and root planing, when furcation involvement (bone loss between molar roots) prevents adequate cleaning, when bone defects are present that are amenable to regenerative grafting, or when the gingival architecture creates an environment the patient cannot keep clean regardless of effort. Clove Dental's periodontists recommend surgery only when non-surgical treatment has demonstrably reached its clinical ceiling." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What regenerative procedures can a periodontist perform?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Bone grafting for intrabony periodontal defects uses synthetic hydroxyapatite, bovine-derived xenograft, or growth factors to promote bone regeneration. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) uses barrier membranes to exclude faster-healing epithelial tissue from the defect, allowing slower-forming bone and periodontal ligament to regenerate. Connective tissue and free gingival grafts treat root exposure from gum recession. Clove Dental's periodontists perform all these procedures within the clinic network." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is laser periodontal treatment clinically validated and when is it appropriate?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and diode lasers have established evidence for adjunctive use in periodontal pockets, reducing bacterial load and promoting tissue healing. For appropriate cases where pocket depths are moderate and tissue architecture allows, laser therapy can replace or supplement conventional flap surgery with less invasiveness and faster recovery. Clove Dental's periodontists assess each case individually; laser is offered where evidence supports it, not as a premium upsell." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can a periodontist also place dental implants?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Periodontics training includes surgical implant placement. Clove Dental's periodontists frequently manage integrated cases: treating active periodontal disease, stabilising the patient, performing bone augmentation where needed, and placing implants, all within a single clinical pathway. This integration avoids the delays, coordination challenges, and inconsistencies that arise when different providers manage sequential stages of the same patient's care." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What does periodontal treatment cost at Clove Dental?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Professional scaling: ₹1,000–₹2,500. Scaling and root planing per quadrant: ₹2,500–₹6,000. Periodontal surgery is quoted individually based on the number of teeth involved and the procedures required. Periodontal maintenance (professional cleaning every 3 months post-treatment) follows Clove Dental's standard transparent cleaning fee. All costs are presented in writing at the initial periodontal assessment before treatment begins." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why is 3-monthly maintenance essential after periodontal treatment?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Periodontitis is a managed condition, not a cured one. Once bone has been lost, the patient is more susceptible to bacterial recolonisation of treated pockets than a patient who never had the disease. Research consistently shows that 3-monthly professional cleaning, rather than 6-monthly, maintains significantly lower pocket depths, lower bacterial counts, and slower disease progression in treated periodontitis patients. Extending to 6-monthly intervals after periodontitis treatment is associated with measurable disease recurrence." } } ] }