Area of care 02
Periodontics: treating gum disease in Berkane
Preventing, diagnosing and treating gum disease so you keep your natural teeth.
Periodontics treats the tissues that hold a tooth in place: gum, ligament and bone. Gums that bleed when you brush signal gingivitis, which a scaling and good hygiene will reverse. Left alone, it becomes periodontitis, which destroys bone and loosens the tooth — and that loss is permanent.
- Gingivitis treatment
- Periodontitis treatment
- Scaling and root planing
- Periodontal maintenance
Gingivitis or periodontitis: the difference matters
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum alone. It shows up as bleeding when you brush, and gums that look red and swollen. It is entirely reversible: after a scaling and a return to proper hygiene, the gum is healthy again within a few weeks.
Periodontitis is the next stage. The inflammation reaches the bone supporting the tooth and gradually destroys it. Bone does not grow back on its own, so treatment aims to stop the damage rather than undo it. That is exactly why acting at the gingivitis stage matters so much.
Warning signs
- Gums that bleed when you brush, or on their own
- Gums that are red, swollen or tender to the touch
- Persistent bad breath despite brushing
- Teeth that look longer as the gum recedes
- Gaps opening up between teeth
- A feeling of movement in one or more teeth
Healthy gums do not bleed. Bleeding when you brush is never “normal”, and it is not a reason to brush more gently — it is a signal to come in.
The treatment, step by step
Treatment always starts with a periodontal assessment: probing the pockets around each tooth, X-rays, and a reading of the bone level. That assessment puts numbers on the situation and becomes the baseline against which progress is measured.
- Supragingival scaling: removing the visible tartar
- Root planing: cleaning the root below the gum, under local anaesthetic, one quadrant at a time
- A follow-up review to measure how the tissues have responded
- Periodontal maintenance: closely spaced follow-up visits, for life
What makes the disease worse
Plaque triggers the disease, but other factors speed it up and have to be taken into account in the treatment plan: smoking, which masks the bleeding while making the bone loss worse; poorly controlled diabetes; certain medications; stress; and a family predisposition.
Always tell us about your medications and medical history at your appointment — they change how we treat you.
Frequently asked questions
Can receding gums be reversed?
Bone that has already been lost does not repair itself. Periodontal treatment aims to stop the disease progressing and to stabilise the situation. The earlier it starts, the more bone there is left to protect — which is the whole point of coming in at the first sign of bleeding.
Does root planing hurt?
It is carried out under local anaesthetic, one quadrant at a time. Some sensitivity to cold and slightly sore gums for a few days afterwards are usual, and a simple painkiller settles them.
Do I need a scaling even without symptoms?
Yes. Tartar builds up even with thorough brushing, in the places a brush cannot reach. A yearly scaling removes that deposit before it starts driving inflammation — including in someone who feels nothing at all.
Can gum disease cost me a healthy tooth?
Yes, and that is what makes it distinctive: the tooth itself may be entirely free of decay. What disappears is the bone supporting it. A tooth with no decay that has become loose is a classic sign of advanced periodontitis.
This page is for information only. It is not a diagnosis, personalised medical advice or a prescription. Only a clinical examination can establish a diagnosis and lead to a treatment plan.
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