The Short Answer
Periodontal therapy treats gum disease by removing plaque and tartar, reducing inflammation, and protecting the gums and bone that support your teeth. Early gum disease (gingivitis) can usually be reversed with a professional cleaning and better brushing and flossing. More advanced gum disease (periodontitis) is treated with a deep cleaning called scaling and root planing, followed by regular maintenance visits to keep it under control.
Have you noticed blood in the sink after brushing? Or gums that look swollen or seem to be pulling away from your teeth? Those can be early signs of gum disease.
At Precision Dentistry of Olympia, Dr. Eric Xu diagnoses and treats gum disease here in our office.
Gingivitis vs. Periodontitis: What’s the Difference?
Gum disease begins when plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, builds up along your gumline. Plaque that isn’t brushed and flossed away hardens into tartar, and only a professional cleaning can remove tartar.
| Gingivitis | Periodontitis | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Early inflammation of the gums | A more advanced form of gum disease that damages the gums and bone supporting your teeth |
| Common signs | Red, swollen, or bleeding gums | Bleeding gums, gum recession, bad breath that won’t go away, and sometimes loose teeth |
| Bone loss | None | Yes, and lost bone doesn’t grow back on its own |
| Can it be reversed? | Usually, with a professional cleaning and good home care | Not completely, but treatment can control it and help prevent further damage |
Gum disease often doesn’t hurt, even after bone loss has started, so don’t wait for pain to get your gums checked.
Gum disease is more common in people with diabetes, and research has linked periodontitis to heart disease too, although that link doesn’t prove one causes the other. Our whole-body wellness page covers the connection between your mouth and the rest of your body.
How Does Periodontal Therapy Work?
Periodontal therapy isn’t one procedure. What you need depends on how advanced your gum disease is.
Examining your gums
At your dental exam, we check your gums for inflammation, bleeding, recession, and periodontal pockets. Pockets are the spaces between your teeth and gums; as they deepen, bacteria and tartar collect where you can’t clean them at home. We also take digital X-rays to see the bone around your teeth, and Dr. Xu can show you your gums on screen with an intraoral camera. Together, these tell us whether a regular cleaning is enough or whether you need periodontal therapy.
Scaling and root planing
If you have periodontitis, Dr. Xu treats it with scaling and root planing, often called a deep cleaning. It works in two steps:
- Scaling removes plaque and hardened tartar from your teeth and the root surfaces beneath your gums.
- Root planing smooths those root surfaces so bacteria have a harder time building back up and your gums can heal.
As your gums heal, you’ll usually notice less bleeding and swelling, and some pockets get shallower. If deep pockets or inflammation remain afterward, we’ll talk with you about whether more care is needed.
Keeping gum disease under control
Periodontitis is a chronic disease, which means it can flare up again even after successful treatment. Patients who’ve had it usually need periodontal maintenance visits more often than the standard six-month cleaning, often three to four times a year. At those visits, we remove new buildup, check your pockets, and watch for signs the disease is coming back. Dr. Xu sets your schedule based on how your gums respond. Our article on regular dental exams explains why ongoing care matters.
Can Periodontal Therapy Save Your Teeth?
In many cases, yes. Once the infection is under control, the remaining bone around your teeth is much less likely to keep breaking down. How well it works depends on how much supporting bone a tooth has already lost.
Dr. Xu takes a conservative approach to dentistry, which means keeping your natural teeth whenever possible. If there’s more than one way to treat your gums, we’ll explain the benefits and limits of each so you can decide.
Sometimes a tooth has lost too much support to stay stable, and taking it out is the healthier choice. Our article on reasons for tooth extraction explains when that’s recommended.
What Our Patients Say
This is the first dentist I have been to that focuses on prevention of problems before they happen! Everyone here is so nice and they try really hard in order to make things work with my schedule! My teeth are very sensitive and the hygienist was extremely careful with my teeth…
This is the first dentist I have been to that focuses on prevention of problems before they happen! Everyone here is so nice and they try really hard in order to make things work with my schedule! My teeth are very sensitive and the hygienist was extremely careful with my teeth – the best experience I have had so far from any dental clinic. I drive an hour just to go here! I would recommend them to anyone!!
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It’s a good clinic with friendly and knowledgeable staff. They did a great job assessing my needs while I was in their care. They completed a quick yet thorough examination to get a more vivid view of what was to be expected…
It’s a good clinic with friendly and knowledgeable staff. They did a great job assessing my needs while I was in their care. They completed a quick yet thorough examination to get a more vivid view of what was to be expected. They have fair pricing and a very clean facility.
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How to Keep Your Gums Healthy After Treatment
Your daily habits do a lot of the work between visits:
- Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, paying attention to the gumline.
- Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes to reach plaque your toothbrush misses.
- Avoid smoking. It raises your risk of gum disease and makes treatment less successful.
- Manage diabetes if you have it. Keeping your blood sugar under control helps your gums heal.
What Does Periodontal Therapy Cost?
Gum therapy at our office is $224 to $352 per quadrant, depending on the treatment needed. Your mouth is divided into four quadrants, and not every patient needs treatment in all four. For comparison, a standard preventive cleaning is $142. These are our published prices and can change, so call our office to confirm current pricing.
If you don’t have dental insurance, our membership program has an Adult Perio Maintenance plan that covers 3 to 4 cleanings a year, X-rays, two fluoride treatments, and two exams for $1,300. Members also get 10% off deep cleanings.
Noticed Changes in Your Gums?
If you’ve noticed any of the signs in this post, it’s worth having Dr. Xu take a look. We provide gum disease treatment in Olympia for patients from Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and surrounding communities.
Call (360) 995-0025 or request an appointment. We’re open Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 2728 Westmoor Court SW, Suite D.
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