Gum treatment
Gum disease is a bacterial inflammation of the tissues holding teeth in place. In its early form — gingivitis — it causes bleeding and is fully reversible. In its established form, periodontitis, it destroys the bone around the roots, and that bone does not come back. Treatment stops the process and stabilises what remains. For anyone considering implants or extensive cosmetic work, this is not an optional preliminary: implants placed in inflamed tissue fail, and veneers bonded to teeth in shrinking bone become a very expensive mistake.
Delivered by: Dentist Saliha Yıldırım
Who it suits
- Patients whose gums bleed on brushing or flossing
- Patients with persistent bad breath or a bad taste
- Patients with receding gums or teeth that appear to be lengthening
- Patients with loose teeth or teeth that have drifted position
- Anyone planning implant or cosmetic treatment — gum health is assessed before either
- Patients with a family history of gum disease or early tooth loss
Who it does not suit
- Cases where teeth are already beyond saving, where extraction and replacement is the realistic plan
- Patients unwilling to change the daily cleaning habits that caused the problem, since treatment without that is temporary
- Acute infection requiring urgent management first
How the treatment works
The extent of the disease is measured — pocket depths around every tooth, bleeding points, and bone levels from radiographs. Treatment then removes the bacterial deposits above and below the gum line by scaling and root surface debridement, usually under local anaesthetic and across more than one appointment. The tissues are reassessed several weeks later. Sites that have not responded may need further treatment; the rest move into a maintenance interval.
Treatment stages
- 01
Periodontal assessment
Pocket depths recorded around each tooth, bleeding points noted, bone levels assessed radiographically. This produces a baseline you can be measured against later.
- 02
Cause-related therapy
Scaling and root surface debridement under local anaesthetic, typically across two or more appointments, together with specific instruction on the cleaning technique your own mouth needs.
- 03
Reassessment
Six to eight weeks later, pocket depths are re-measured. This is how you find out whether it worked, rather than assuming it did.
- 04
Further treatment where needed
Sites that have not responded may need repeat debridement or, occasionally, surgical access.
- 05
Maintenance
A defined recall interval, usually every three to six months. Periodontitis is managed, not cured, and it returns without maintenance.
Materials and options
Instrumentation
Ultrasonic and hand instruments to remove deposits from the root surface below the gum line.
Antimicrobials
Local or systemic antimicrobials in specific cases. Not routine, and not a substitute for removing the deposits mechanically.
Home care tools
Interdental brushes sized to your own spaces. Which size, and where, is the single most useful thing you take away from treatment.
Recovery
Gums are tender for a few days and may bleed initially. Some sensitivity to cold is common as inflamed tissue shrinks and root surfaces become exposed. Teeth can feel slightly looser at first as swollen tissue reduces, which settles as the tissues firm up.
Aftercare
This is a treatment where the aftercare is the treatment. Daily interdental cleaning, correct brushing technique and the recall interval you were given determine whether the result holds. Smoking substantially worsens periodontal outcomes and is the single most valuable thing to change.
What affects the cost
- How extensive the disease is and how many sites need treatment
- Number of appointments required
- Whether surgical treatment is needed for non-responding sites
- Whether it forms part of preparation for implant or cosmetic treatment
Travel considerations
Gum treatment is a poor fit for a compressed dental trip, because the meaningful reassessment happens six to eight weeks later. Where it is needed before implants or veneers, the sensible structure is to treat the gums on an earlier visit, or in coordination with a dentist at home, and only then plan the main treatment. Anyone offering to place implants in untreated periodontal disease during a single week is not planning for the outcome.
Alternatives
Professional cleaning alone
Sufficient for gingivitis, where there is inflammation but no bone loss. Not sufficient once pockets have formed.
Periodontal surgery
For deep pockets that do not respond to non-surgical treatment, surgical access allows the root surfaces to be cleaned directly.
Extraction of hopeless teeth
Where a tooth has lost most of its supporting bone, removing it protects the neighbours and simplifies what follows.
Risks and limitations
- Gum recession as inflammation resolves, which can leave teeth looking longer and gaps more visible
- Increased sensitivity from exposed root surfaces
- Teeth feeling temporarily looser as swelling reduces
- Sites that fail to respond and require surgical treatment
- Recurrence where maintenance and daily cleaning are not sustained
- Some already-affected teeth eventually being lost despite treatment
Common questions
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis can be reversed completely. Established periodontitis can be stopped and stabilised, but the bone already lost does not return, and the condition recurs without ongoing maintenance.
Do I need gum treatment before implants?
If you have active gum disease, yes, without exception. The same bacteria cause peri-implantitis around implants, and implants placed into untreated disease have a substantially higher failure rate.
Is treatment painful?
It is carried out under local anaesthetic and is not painful at the time. The gums are tender for a few days afterwards.
Will my gums grow back?
No. Recession that has already occurred does not reverse with treatment, and gums may recede slightly further as swelling resolves. Treatment protects what is left, which is the realistic goal.
How often will I need maintenance afterwards?
Usually every three to six months, depending on how your tissues responded and how well the daily cleaning is going. This is arranged with your dentist at home, and the findings from treatment here are documented so they can pick it up accurately.
Start with the assessment.
Send your photographs and a short description of what is bothering you. You will receive a first assessment and, where possible, a written preliminary plan — before any question of travel comes up.
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