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Gum treatment
For bleeding gums, bad breath and loose teeth: cleaning below the gum line.
- Where
- First floor, Potta, on NH 544
Get directions - Open
- Every day, 10 am – 7 pm
- Who treats you
- Dr. Pavya Priya · KDC 28861
- Fees
- 1 fee range
See all fees
On this page
Gum disease is inflammation of the tissue that holds the teeth in place. It is one of the commonest reasons adults lose teeth. For most of its course it does not hurt. At Kallada Smile it is treated by Dr. Pavya Priya, a registered dentist.
What it is
Plaque sits at the gum line and hardens into tartar. The gum reacts, becomes red and swollen, and bleeds when it is touched. This first stage is called gingivitis, and it is fully reversible.
If it continues, the inflammation goes deeper. The attachment between gum and tooth breaks down, a pocket forms, and the bone around the root begins to shrink. That stage is called periodontitis, and the bone lost does not return.
A periodontist is a gum specialist; advanced gum disease is referred to one.
Most cases seen at a general clinic are caught before that point. Treatment removes the cause, the inflammation settles, and the disease stops progressing.
Signs you might need it
- Gums that bleed when you brush, floss or bite into something firm.
- Gums that look red and puffy rather than firm and pink.
- Bad breath, or a bad taste, that returns soon after brushing.
- Gums that have pulled back, so the teeth look longer than they used to.
- A gap opening between two teeth that used to touch.
- A tooth that has begun to feel loose, or that moves when you press it.
- Pus at the gum margin, or a swelling that comes and goes.
- Sensitivity at the neck of the tooth, where the root is now exposed.
Pain is not on this list, and that is the point. Gum disease rarely hurts until it is well established.
What happens at Kallada Smile
Examination. Dr. Pavya measures the depth of the pocket around each tooth with a fine probe and writes the numbers down. This chart is what later visits are compared against.
X-rays. Arranged where the pockets are deep, to see how much bone is left around the roots. X-rays are not taken at Kallada Smile: the clinic does not hold a radiation licence yet. Where one is needed you are given a written note and sent to a radiology centre in Chalakudy, about five minutes away by road, which charges you separately. The picture is read and explained at your appointment.
Explaining what was found. You are shown the chart, told which teeth are affected and how badly, and given the fee range for the treatment. You decide.
Cleaning technique first. There is no point removing tartar if the plaque returns the same week. Dr. Pavya shows you the brushing angle and the interdental aid that suits your mouth.
Deep cleaning. The root surfaces below the gum line are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler and hand instruments. The area is usually numbed, and one part of the mouth is done at a time.
Review. At 6 to 8 weeks the pockets are measured again. Where they have not settled, Dr. Pavya says what comes next, including where a referral is the right answer.
Options
Cleaning above the gum line. Enough for gingivitis. One visit, no numbing needed in most cases.
Deep cleaning below the gum line. For pockets that a routine clean cannot reach. Usually numbed, and often split across 2 to 3 visits by section of the mouth.
Medicated rinse or gel. Used alongside cleaning in some cases, never instead of it.
More frequent cleaning visits. For people whose gums have already lost bone, the interval matters more than anything else. Three or four months rather than six is common.
Removing a tooth. A tooth that has lost most of its bone support may be loose and painful. Keeping it can put the neighbouring teeth at risk.
Referral. Gum surgery, and cases where the pockets do not respond, are referred. Dr. Pavya tells you where, and what it is likely to cost, before you go.
What can go wrong
Gum treatment does not put back the bone that has already gone; it stops more from going. As the swelling settles the gums shrink back, so teeth can look longer, gaps can open between them and the necks of the teeth can be sensitive to cold for some weeks. Teeth that were held by inflamed gum can feel looser afterwards. Treatment below the gum makes the gums bleed, which matters if you take a blood thinner, so tell us about every medicine before it starts. Where the bone loss has already gone far, some teeth are lost anyway, and the honest answer is given before the treatment rather than after it.
How long it takes and how many visits
A routine gum clean takes 30 to 45 minutes in one visit.
Deep cleaning takes 1 to 3 visits of 45 to 60 minutes each, spaced a week or two apart.
The review comes 6 to 8 weeks after the last treatment visit. The gum needs that long to settle before it can be measured honestly.
After that, the interval between cleanings is set to your own mouth. Gum disease is managed rather than finished, in the same way as blood pressure.
Looking after it afterwards
- The gums may feel sore and the teeth sensitive to cold for a few days after deep cleaning. It settles.
- Brush along the gum line at the angle you were shown, twice a day, with a soft brush. Hard brushing damages the gum without cleaning it better.
- Clean between every tooth once a day with floss or an interdental brush. This is the part that decides whether treatment holds.
- Expect the gums to look as though they have shrunk after treatment. The swelling has gone; the tooth has not moved.
- Gaps may open between the teeth where swollen gum used to fill them, and food may pack there. Tell us and we show you how to clean it.
- Keep the review appointment even if the bleeding has stopped, because the measurements are what tell us it worked.
- If you smoke, stopping does more for your gums than anything we do at the clinic.
Fees
- Gum treatment₹1,500 – ₹8,000
The final fee is confirmed after examination, in writing, before treatment starts. See all fees
Questions about gum treatment
Can gum disease be reversed?
The early stage can. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum only. It settles once the tartar is removed and the teeth are cleaned properly every day. Once bone has been lost around a tooth, that bone does not grow back on its own. Treatment then aims to stop further loss and hold what is there.
Why do gums recede?
Two common reasons pull in opposite directions. Gum disease destroys the attachment, so the gum drops. Brushing too hard, or with a hard brush, wears the gum away at the neck of the tooth. Grinding and the position of a tooth in the jaw also play a part. Dr. Pavya works out which applies before advising anything.
My gums bleed when I brush. Should I brush less?
No, the opposite. Bleeding is a sign of inflammation caused by plaque left at the gum line. The plaque has to come off for the bleeding to stop. Brush gently along the gum with a soft brush and clean between the teeth daily. Bleeding that continues after two weeks of that needs looking at.
Does gum disease loosen teeth?
In its later stage, yes. The bone that holds the root shrinks away, so the tooth has less support and starts to move. This is why teeth can be lost to gum disease while they have no decay at all. Treated early, teeth are usually kept.
Does smoking affect the gums?
Strongly. Smoking narrows the small blood vessels in the gum, so it bleeds less and looks healthier than it is. The bone loss underneath continues. It also makes gum treatment work less well. If you stop, the gums respond better to treatment.
Care for every smile
Ready when you are.
Tell us your name and what is bothering you. We reply with a time.