Gum Disease Treatment

Gum (periodontal) disease is an infection of the tissue and bone that hold your teeth in place — and it's sneaky, because it rarely hurts in the early stages. It begins as gingivitis: plaque along the gumline leaves gums red, puffy, and quick to bleed. Left alone, it can advance to periodontitis, where the gums pull away from the teeth, pockets form, and the supporting bone slowly breaks down.

If your gums bleed when you brush, look like they're receding, or you're fighting bad breath that keeps coming back, it's worth getting checked — those are classic early warnings, and we've covered them in detail in our guide to the early signs of gum disease. Caught at the gingivitis stage, treatment is simple and the damage is usually fully reversible.

At Complete Dental Care in Atlantis, your visit starts with a complete periodontal exam: we measure the small pockets around each tooth to map exactly where the disease is active. Treatment typically centers on scaling and root planing — a careful deep cleaning that removes plaque and hardened tartar from below the gumline and smooths the root surfaces so your gums can reattach. From there, a personalized schedule of maintenance visits keeps the bacteria from regaining a foothold.