Gum disease treatment in Cobham
Support for healthier gums and long-term periodontal care.
Bleeding, sore or receding gums are common, and they can have several causes. We assess your gum health properly — measuring around each tooth and taking x-rays where clinically required — then explain what we find and how it can be managed. Gum problems cannot be diagnosed from symptoms described online.
Suitability
Who this may suit
- Your gums bleed when you brush or floss, or you notice blood in the sink.
- Your gums are red, swollen or tender, or you have persistent bad breath or an unpleasant taste.
- Your gums have receded, teeth look longer, or you have new sensitivity at the gum line.
- Teeth feel loose, have moved, or spaces have appeared between them.
Why gum health matters
Assessed and measured, not guessed
Gum health is recorded around each tooth so changes can be compared over time, rather than judged on how the gums look on one day.
Aimed at keeping your teeth
Advanced gum disease affects the bone supporting teeth. Treating and monitoring it is aimed at stabilising the situation and keeping your own teeth for as long as possible.
Support that continues
Gum health depends heavily on daily cleaning and regular maintenance. We coach you on technique and set a review interval that suits your risk.
Risks & considerations
Risks and important considerations
- Sensitivity of the teeth and roots after cleaning, which usually settles but can persist.
- Gums may appear to recede once swelling reduces, making teeth look longer or spaces more visible.
- Tenderness, minor bleeding and discomfort for a few days after treatment.
- Teeth already affected by bone loss can remain loose, and some teeth may be lost despite well-performed treatment.
- Gum disease can recur, particularly without consistent home cleaning and maintenance appointments.
- Numbness or altered sensation is uncommon but possible where local anaesthetic is used.
- Your clinician will explain what applies to your gums, and what outcome is realistic in your case.
Frequently asked questions
Bleeding is usually a sign of inflammation, most often caused by plaque building up along the gum line. Other factors can contribute, including smoking or vaping, diabetes, some medications, pregnancy and cleaning technique. Bleeding gums are not normal and should be assessed rather than ignored.
It covers two stages. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, with redness, swelling and bleeding, and it can usually be settled. Periodontitis is when the supporting bone and attachment around the teeth are affected — that is managed and monitored, because lost support does not grow back.
Untreated periodontitis can lead to loose teeth and eventually tooth loss, because it affects the bone and tissue holding teeth in place. Assessing and managing it early gives the best chance of keeping teeth, though we cannot guarantee any individual tooth.
We ask about your symptoms, cleaning and medical history, then examine your mouth and measure the gum around each tooth, recording bleeding, recession and any looseness. X-rays are taken where clinically required. We then explain the findings and the options, with a written estimate.
How gum care works with us
- 1
Gum-health assessment
We ask about your symptoms, cleaning routine, smoking and medical history, then examine and measure your gums around every tooth and record what we find.
- 2
X-rays where clinically required
X-rays are taken when they are needed to assess the bone supporting your teeth. They are only taken where clinically justified.
- 3
Explaining what we have found
We show you the measurements, explain whether the problem is gum inflammation (gingivitis) or involves loss of support (periodontitis), and set out the plan, the likely number of appointments and a written estimate.
Your options
Treatment choices we may discuss
Gum-health assessment
A dentist or hygienist examines your gums, measures the depth of the gum around each tooth, records bleeding and recession, checks for looseness, and takes x-rays where clinically required to look at the supporting bone.
Plaque-control support and risk review
Tailored coaching on brushing, cleaning between teeth and the products that suit your mouth, alongside a discussion of the risk factors that apply to you — including smoking or vaping, diabetes and other medical conditions, and medication.
Non-surgical periodontal treatment
Thorough cleaning above and, where appropriate, below the gum line to remove plaque and hardened deposits from the root surfaces. This may be carried out over more than one appointment, quadrant by quadrant, using local anaesthetic where needed for comfort.
Airflow Guided Biofilm Therapy
Where suitable, cleaning can be carried out using EMS Airflow, which removes soft plaque and stain comfortably. See our Airflow hygiene page for details.
Maintenance and monitoring
Once things are stable, planned maintenance appointments at an interval set for your risk, with gum measurements repeated so any deterioration is picked up early.
Referral where required
Advanced or unusual cases, or gums that do not respond as expected, can be referred to a periodontist for a further opinion or treatment.
Important limitations
What this treatment cannot do
- We cannot diagnose gum disease from symptoms described online, by phone or by email. An assessment is needed.
- Gum disease cannot always be reversed. Gum inflammation often settles with treatment and good cleaning, but bone and gum tissue already lost cannot be regrown by cleaning, and periodontitis is managed and monitored rather than cured.
- Results depend heavily on your daily cleaning, and on factors such as smoking and general health. We cannot guarantee an outcome.
- The number of appointments needed varies with how much is involved and how your gums respond, so we cannot commit to a fixed course in advance.
- Some cases need onward referral to a periodontist or, where a tooth cannot be saved, discussion of removal and replacement.
- Treated gums can recede further, and teeth may become more sensitive or spaces more visible once inflammation and deposits are removed.
Alternatives
Other options we may discuss
Improved home care and monitoring alone
For early gum inflammation, better daily cleaning with review may be enough. We will tell you if that is realistic for you.
No treatment
Choosing not to treat is an option. Untreated periodontitis tends to progress, and the loss of support around teeth is not reversible, so we will explain what that means in your case.
Referral to a periodontist
For advanced disease, or where treatment here has not achieved the desired stability, a referral for specialist periodontal care can be arranged.
Removal and replacement of affected teeth
Where a tooth has lost too much support to be kept, removal and options such as an implant, bridge or denture can be discussed as separate treatment.
Technology
What we use at the practice
EMS Airflow Guided Biofilm Therapy
Warm water, air and fine powder used to remove plaque and staining, without scraping or vibration for most patients.
Digital x-rays
Digital radiographs taken in the surgery and displayed on screen so your clinician can talk you through the findings.
Frequently asked questions
It is non-surgical periodontal treatment: careful cleaning of the tooth and root surfaces below the gum line to remove plaque and hardened deposits. Local anaesthetic is used where needed for comfort, and it is often carried out across more than one appointment.
That is set to your individual risk and how your gums respond, so there is no single answer. Some patients are seen more frequently than others. Your clinician will recommend an interval and review it as things change.
Yes. Smoking and vaping affect the gums and how well they respond to treatment, and smokers may bleed less even when disease is present, which can mask the problem. Stopping improves the outlook, and we are happy to talk about support to do that.
Gum inflammation can often be settled, but we cannot promise gum disease is always reversible. Where support around the teeth has already been lost, treatment aims to stabilise the situation and prevent further loss, with ongoing maintenance — it is managed rather than cured.
Our published examination and hygiene fees are on the Plan & Fees page. The fee for periodontal treatment depends on what your gums need, so it is confirmed in writing after your assessment, before treatment starts.
Concerns this may help with
What patients come to us about
Related treatments
You may also want to read
- Airflow HygieneGuided Biofilm Therapy for comfortable, deep cleaning.
- Dental examinationThorough check-ups including x-rays and screening.
- ExtractionsCareful removal, including wisdom teeth, with clinicians experienced in oral surgery.
- ImplantsReplacing missing teeth with fixed, natural-looking restorations.
Noticed bleeding or sore gums?
Book directly into our diaries online, or ask us a question first — we're happy to help.