Gum Disease Treatment

How we work out what you need

Gum treatment is not one procedure. What you need depends on how far the disease has gone, and that is measured rather than guessed.

At the assessment we walk a small calibrated probe around each tooth and record the depth of the space between gum and tooth in millimetres, and we take x-rays to see the bone level directly. It takes a few minutes and it is not painful. From those two things we know the stage — and the stage determines the treatment.

If you want to understand what is being measured before you come in, the five stages of gum health walks through it with a diagram.

What treatment involves

A professional cleaning

For inflammation without bone loss, this is the whole treatment. Hardened deposits are removed above and just below the gum line, and the gum settles within a few weeks. See professional cleanings.

Deep cleaning — scaling and root planing

Once pockets have formed, cleaning has to reach below the gum line to the root surface. The area is numbed, so it is comfortable, and it is usually done over more than one visit so each side of the mouth is treated properly rather than hurried.

Afterwards the gums are often tender for a day or two and teeth can feel briefly more sensitive to cold. Both settle.

Laser gum treatment

For some pockets a dental laser can be used alongside deep cleaning to remove diseased tissue and bacteria with less bleeding and a gentler recovery. It is not a replacement for cleaning the root surface. What laser gum treatment actually does covers when it helps and when it does not.

Maintenance

This is the part that decides the outcome. After active treatment, gum disease is controlled rather than cured, and it returns if the cleaning interval is too long. Most treated patients move to a shorter interval than the standard six months.

Signs worth booking for

• Gums that bleed when you brush or floss — this is the earliest reliable sign
• Gums that look red or puffy rather than firm and pale pink
• Teeth that look longer, or gums that have visibly receded
• Persistent bad breath or a bad taste that keeps coming back
• Any tooth that feels loose, or a bite that has changed — see a dentist this week

Gum disease is largely painless until it is advanced, which is exactly why it is usually found late. If you are not sure whether what you have is normal, ask — that costs nothing.

Been told you need gum surgery?

Gum treatment plans can be large, and a plan quoting surgery across several teeth is worth a second look. Bring it to us — second opinions are free, on any dentist's plan, and we are comfortable telling you when we think the work is not needed.