Treatment

Periodontal (gum) treatment is customized to your diagnosis and risk factors. Our goal is to stop infection, reduce pocket depths, protect bone, and make daily cleaning easier—so your gums stay healthy long-term.

How We Choose the Right Treatment

After a periodontal exam (pocket measurements, X-rays, and gum assessment), we recommend one or more of the following based on disease stage:

1) Gingivitis (Early Inflammation)

  • Care: A professional cleaning, home-care coaching, and a short recheck.
  • Goal: Reverse inflammation and restore healthy gums.

2) Periodontitis (Established Disease)

  • Care: Scaling & Root Planing (SRP)—often called a “deep cleaning.”
  • Goal: Remove tartar and bacteria below the gumline, smooth root surfaces, and shrink pocket depths.

3) Advanced Periodontitis

  • Care: SRP plus targeted therapies; if pockets remain deep, we may discuss periodontal surgery (pocket reduction or regenerative procedures).
  • Goal: Gain access to hard-to-reach areas, reduce pockets, and stabilize teeth.

Scaling & Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)

What it is: A precise cleaning under the gums to remove plaque/tartar (scaling) and smooth root surfaces (planing) so gums can reattach more snugly to teeth.

How it’s done:

  • Performed by area (often one quadrant at a time) with the gums comfortably numbed
  • Ultrasonic and hand instruments reach below the gumline
  • We may recommend localized antimicrobial rinses/gels and specific home-care tools

After SRP: Mild tenderness or temperature sensitivity is common for a day or two. Brush and floss gently the same day unless we advise otherwise.

Re-Evaluation & Next Steps

About 4–6 weeks after SRP, we re-measure pockets and bleeding points:

  • Improved: Great—shift to Periodontal Maintenance (see below).
  • Still deep areas: We may repeat localized therapy or discuss surgical options to access and reduce pockets.

Surgical & Regenerative Options

If certain sites remain deep or difficult to clean:

  • Pocket reduction (flap) procedures to access roots and reduce pocket depths
  • Regenerative procedures (bone or tissue grafting, membranes) in select defects to encourage repair
  • Bite adjustments/splinting if heavy forces or tooth mobility are present

When appropriate, we coordinate care with a periodontist (gum specialist).

Periodontal Maintenance = Long-Term Success

After active therapy, most patients need maintenance visits every 3–4 months. These visits control bacteria, monitor pocket depths, and help prevent relapse. This is different from a routine “6-month cleaning” and is essential for stability.

Your Role at Home

FAQs

Will my gums grow back?
Inflammation resolves and pockets can shrink after treatment, but lost bone/tissue may require regenerative procedures to rebuild in select cases.

Does treatment hurt?
We keep areas numb and comfortable. Most patients return to normal the same day or next.

How long will results last?
With 3–4 month maintenance and great home care, many patients keep gums stable for the long term.