Gum Therapy
Treating the foundation beneath the smile
What it
actually is
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and it is largely silent. Bleeding when brushing is not normal — it is the earliest sign that bacterial biofilm has triggered inflammation. Left alone, that inflammation moves below the gum line and begins destroying the bone anchoring the teeth, and lost bone does not spontaneously return.
The good news is that early disease, gingivitis, is fully reversible. Even established periodontitis can almost always be stabilised with non-surgical treatment: careful removal of deposits from the root surfaces, a targeted home-care regime and a maintenance interval matched to your risk.
There is a wider stake too. Periodontal inflammation is consistently associated with cardiovascular disease, poorly controlled diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Treating your gums is not only a dental decision.
Why patients
choose it
Stops bone loss
Treatment arrests the destruction. Every month of delay costs support that cannot be rebuilt easily.
Mostly non-surgical
The majority of cases are stabilised without any surgery at all.
Fresher breath
Removing the bacterial reservoirs beneath the gum resolves most persistent halitosis.
Protects other work
No implant, crown or veneer outlasts the tissue it sits in.
Measured outcomes
Pocket depths are charted at every visit so improvement is a number, not an impression.
Step by step
Full periodontal charting
Six measurements per tooth, recession, mobility, bleeding points and X-rays establish a precise baseline.
Cause-related therapy
Deep cleaning of the root surfaces under local anaesthetic, usually across two longer appointments.
Home-care coaching
Interdental brush sizing, technique correction and specific product recommendations — the part that determines whether treatment holds.
Re-evaluation at 8 weeks
The chart is repeated. Pockets that have resolved need only maintenance; residual sites are treated further.
Surgery if required
For the minority who need it: regenerative or grafting procedures to restore lost tissue and correct recession.
What to
expect after
- Gums may be tender for two to three days after deep cleaning; warm salt-water rinses help.
- Teeth can feel more sensitive to cold as inflamed tissue tightens and roots become briefly exposed.
- Some patients notice small gaps appearing — this is inflammation resolving, not damage.
- Bleeding should reduce noticeably within two weeks if home care is correct.
- Maintenance visits every three to four months, indefinitely — periodontal disease is controlled, not cured.
A specialist, not an add-on
Dr. Osei is a periodontist. Gum treatment here is her whole discipline, not fifteen minutes at the end of a check-up.
Numbers you can see
You receive your own charting, so improvement is measurable rather than reassuring noise.
Laser-assisted options
For suitable pockets, laser therapy reduces bacterial load with less post-treatment discomfort.
Frequently
asked
Will my receded gums grow back?+
Generally not on their own, but grafting can cover exposed roots predictably in suitable cases.
Is deep cleaning painful?+
It is performed under local anaesthetic, so no. Afterwards expect tenderness rather than pain.
I brush twice a day — why do I have gum disease?+
Brushing cleans about 60% of tooth surfaces. What happens between the teeth, plus genetics and smoking, decides the rest.
Can I have implants with gum disease?+
Not until it is stabilised. Implants placed into active periodontal disease fail at markedly higher rates.