Bleeding when you brush, gums pulling away from your teeth, breath
that will not freshen, a tooth that has started to feel loose — these are gum
disease, and it is the leading cause of tooth loss in Australian adults.
The good news is that caught early it is reversible, and even in
its advanced form it can be stopped. We treat gum disease at every stage at Top Ryde
City Shopping Centre, from deep cleaning through to laser therapy and gum surgery.
Gum disease is usually painless until it is advanced, which is why
so many people only find out once a tooth is already loose. These are the signs worth
acting on.
Swipe to see more
Bleeding gums when brushing
The single most common early sign. Healthy gums do not bleed, and pink in the sink
is not something to brush harder at — it means inflammation.
Swollen, red or tender gums
Healthy gums are firm and pale pink. Puffy, dark red or sore gums point to an
active bacterial infection along the gumline.
Receding gums
Teeth that look longer than they used to, or a notch you can feel near the gumline.
Receding gums expose the softer root surface.
Persistent bad breath
Breath that returns within an hour of brushing. Bacteria living in deep gum
pockets produce the sulphur compounds responsible.
Loose or shifting teeth
A tooth that moves, or a bite that feels different, means the bone holding it has
been lost. This is urgent — call us rather than waiting.
Pus, or a bad taste
Discharge at the gumline or a persistent metallic or foul taste indicates an
abscess or active infection needing prompt treatment.
Noticing any of these?
A gum health assessment tells you exactly where you stand, and what it will take to
fix it.
Gum disease does not hold still. Left alone it works downward, from
the gum into the bone, and the point at which you start treatment decides most of what
happens afterwards.
Treated early
Gingivitis usually clears with a professional clean and better home care. No bone
is lost, nothing is permanent, and the cost is close to that of a routine
appointment.
Left for a few years
Deep cleaning across several visits, sometimes gum surgery or bone grafting, and
in advanced cases teeth that cannot be saved. Bone that has gone does not come back
on its own.
The part that catches people out
Gum disease is painless until it is advanced. There is no toothache to prompt a
visit, so the first sign most people act on is a tooth that has started to move
— by which point a good deal of the supporting bone has already gone.
Bleeding when you brush is the signal that arrives years earlier. Acting on that
one is what keeps periodontal care simple.
Not sure how far along you are?
A gum assessment measures it properly and tells you exactly where you stand.
Gingivitis or Periodontitis? The Stages of Gum Disease
Gum disease is a progression, not a single condition. Which stage you
are at decides the treatment, the cost, and whether the damage can be undone.
Stage 1 — reversible
Gingivitis
Inflammation of the gum only. Gums bleed and look red or puffy, but the bone
holding your teeth is untouched. A professional clean plus better home care usually
clears it completely within a few weeks.
Stage 2 — early periodontitis
Early bone loss
The infection has passed below the gumline. Pockets form between gum and tooth,
and the first millimetres of supporting bone are lost. Bone does not grow back on its
own, but at this point the disease can be halted.
Stage 3 — moderate
Deeper pockets
Pockets deepen past 5mm, gums recede visibly and teeth may become sensitive. Deep
cleaning below the gumline is needed, often across several appointments.
Stage 4 — advanced
Teeth at risk
Substantial bone loss. Teeth loosen, shift or drift apart and some may be beyond
saving. Treatment moves to gum surgery, bone grafting, and planning for what replaces
any teeth that are lost.
How we tell which stage you are at
Not by looking. We run a periodontal chart — a small probe measures the depth
of the pocket at six points around every tooth — and read it alongside X-rays
that show the bone level. Healthy is 1mm to 3mm. Anything past 4mm is a pocket that
cannot be cleaned at home.
That chart is also the record we measure your progress against at every later
visit.
Your options
Types of Periodontal Treatment We Provide
Treatment starts with the least invasive option that will work, and
only escalates if your gums do not respond.
Scaling and root planing (deep cleaning)
The first and most common active treatment. Instruments reach below the gumline to
remove bacteria and hardened deposits from the root surfaces, then smooth those roots
so the gum can reattach. Usually done under local anaesthetic, one or two quadrants
of the mouth at a time.
Antibiotic therapy
Where a gum infection is active or has not settled with cleaning alone, an
antibiotic may be used alongside treatment — sometimes placed directly into the
pocket, sometimes taken by mouth. It supports the deep cleaning rather than replacing
it, and is prescribed only where it is genuinely indicated.
Laser gum therapy (LAPT)
Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy uses a dental laser to disinfect the pocket and
remove diseased tissue, often with less bleeding and less post-treatment soreness
than conventional surgery.
For pockets too deep to clean any other way. The gum is gently lifted so the root
and bone can be cleaned directly, then secured back against the tooth at a healthier
level.
Once the disease is under control, cleans every three to four months rather than
six keep the pockets from re-colonising. This is the part that decides whether the
result holds.
What happens
The Periodontal Treatment Process
From first appointment to stable gums, here is how the course of
treatment usually runs.
Assessment and periodontal charting
Pocket depths measured around every
tooth, X-rays to show bone levels, and a review of anything affecting your gums such
as smoking, diabetes or medications.
Your written plan and quote
You get the diagnosis in plain language, the
recommended treatment, the item numbers and the cost — before anything
starts.
Deep cleaning
Scaling and root planing under local anaesthetic, usually
split across two to four visits so each area gets proper time.
Healing review
Six to eight weeks later we re-chart the same points and
compare. Most pockets shrink. Any that have not responded are identified here.
Further treatment if needed
Stubborn pockets may move to laser therapy,
curettage or flap surgery. Many patients never reach this step.
Maintenance programme
A three to four monthly recall schedule, with
periodic re-charting so any relapse is caught while it is still small.
Fees
Gum Disease Treatment Cost
Periodontal treatment is priced per item, and how many items you need
depends on how many teeth are affected and how deep the pockets are. That is why nobody
can quote you properly over the phone without seeing your chart — but you should
still know what the building blocks cost.
011 Comprehensive examinationFull assessment at your first visit$XXX
221 Periodontal chartingPocket depths measured and recorded around every tooth$XXX
114 Scale and cleanRemoval of plaque and tartar above the gumline$XXX
222 Root planing, per toothDeep cleaning below the gumline, under local anaesthetic$XXX
022 Bitewing X-rayPer image, to check bone levels between teeth$XXX
037 OPG full-mouth X-rayWhole-jaw view of bone loss$XXX
232 Periodontal flap surgery, per quadrantWhere pockets do not respond to deep cleaning$XXX
Fees current as of [EDIT-5: month and year]. Because root
planing is charged per tooth, a mouth with eight affected teeth costs a fraction of one
with twenty-four. Across Sydney, full-mouth non-surgical gum treatment is commonly
reported in the range of roughly $800 to $1,900 depending on severity; your written quote
will give you your own figure before treatment begins.
Health funds and payment
Periodontal items usually sit under the general or major dental part of your extras
cover, and they are claimable. We process health fund claims through HICAPS at
reception, so your rebate comes off immediately and you pay only the gap.
Because treatment is often spread over several visits, it can also be spread across
two calendar years so you use two annual limits instead of one. Ask us and we will plan
the appointments around your cover. National Dental Plan and Afterpay are both
available if you would rather pay in instalments.
Get a written quote before you commit
Assessment first, itemised plan second, treatment only once you have agreed to
it.
Treatment is not cosmetic. It is about keeping the teeth you have
where they are.
Protects your natural teeth
Advanced gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in Australian adults.
Treating it early stops the bone loss that eventually loosens teeth, and keeping your
own teeth is always better than replacing them.
Settles the infection
Removing bacteria from below the gumline brings down inflammation. Gums stop
bleeding, swelling goes, and brushing and eating stop being something you work
around.
Fresher breath
Persistent bad breath is very often bacteria living in deep gum pockets. Clearing
those out addresses the cause rather than covering it.
One less infection to carry
Gum disease has been linked in research to heart disease, stroke and blood glucose
control in diabetes. The links are associations rather than proven cause and effect,
but an ongoing infection is not something worth leaving in place.
The honest answer
Can Gum Disease Be Reversed, and Do Gums Grow Back?
Gingivitis, yes. At the inflammation-only stage, a professional clean plus
consistent brushing and flossing usually returns the gums to full health within a few
weeks, with nothing permanently lost.
Periodontitis, no — but it can be stopped. Once bone has been lost it
does not grow back by itself. What treatment does is remove the infection, shrink the
pockets, and halt further loss, so the teeth you still have stay where they are. Many
people keep their teeth for life after treatment.
Receding gums do not grow back either, though grafting can cover exposed
roots in some cases, and bone grafting can rebuild support in others.
Which is why the stage you start at matters so much, and why bleeding gums are
worth acting on now rather than next year.
Individual results vary. Outcomes depend on the stage of disease, your
general health and your home care after treatment.
Why it happens
What Causes Gum Disease, and Who Is Most at Risk
The cause is bacterial plaque left along and below the gumline long enough to harden
into tartar. Everything else makes that process faster or the response worse:
Smoking and vaping. The strongest modifiable risk factor. It also masks
bleeding, so the disease advances quietly, and it slows healing after treatment.
Diabetes. The relationship runs both ways — poorly controlled blood
glucose worsens gum disease, and gum infection makes glucose harder to control.
Family history. Susceptibility is partly inherited. If a parent lost teeth to
gum disease, you are worth monitoring more closely.
Pregnancy and hormonal change. Gums become more reactive to the same amount of
plaque, so bleeding often appears during pregnancy.
Dry mouth from medication. Saliva protects the gums. Many blood pressure,
antidepressant and antihistamine medications reduce it.
Crowded teeth and old dental work. Overlapping teeth and overhanging filling
margins create spots a toothbrush cannot clean.
Gum disease has also been linked in research to heart disease, stroke and diabetes
control. The links are associations rather than proven cause and effect, but they are one
more reason not to leave an active infection in your mouth.
After treatment
Recovery and Long-Term Periodontal Care
Most people are back to normal activities the same day or the next. Expect the
gums to be tender for a few days and the teeth to be sensitive to cold for a couple
of weeks as the roots are now cleaner and slightly more exposed.
Soft foods and warm salt-water rinses for the first few days
A sensitive-teeth toothpaste, used daily rather than occasionally
Interdental brushes sized to your gaps — usually more effective than floss
once pockets have shrunk
Maintenance visits every three to four months, not six
If you smoke, quitting does more for the result than any single treatment we
provide
Periodontal disease is a chronic condition. It is controlled rather than cured,
and the maintenance schedule is what keeps it controlled.
Payment options
Payment Plans for Periodontal Treatment
We accept all Australian health funds with on-the-spot HICAPS
claiming, and offer National Dental Plan and Afterpay so a course of treatment can be
paid in instalments.
Health funds we claim from
Finding us
Gum Disease Treatment in Ryde and Across Northern Sydney
If you have been searching for a gum specialist near you, we are
inside Top Ryde City Shopping Centre at Shop 2035, Level LG1, Tucker Street, with parking
on site and buses stopping at the centre.
We provide periodontal care in-house rather than referring every case
on, and we are open six days a week including Saturdays, which matters when
treatment runs across several appointments. Where a case genuinely needs specialist
periodontal surgery beyond our scope, we will tell you and arrange the referral.
Book an assessment if your gums bleed when you brush, look
swollen or red, feel sore, have started to recede, or if your breath will not freshen.
Any tooth that has begun to move is more urgent — call us rather than waiting
for a routine appointment. Because gum disease is painless until late, waiting for it
to hurt means waiting too long.
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis can be fully reversed. Periodontitis cannot be
cured, because lost bone does not regrow on its own, but it can be stopped and kept
under control indefinitely with treatment and a maintenance schedule.
Is periodontal treatment painful?
Deep cleaning is done under local anaesthetic, so you should
not feel the treatment itself. Afterwards the gums are usually tender for a few days
and the teeth sensitive to cold for a week or two, which ordinary pain relief and a
sensitive toothpaste manage.
How much does gum disease treatment cost?
It depends on how many teeth are affected, because root
planing is charged per tooth. Our item fees are listed above, and you receive a
written itemised quote after your assessment and before any treatment starts. Across
Sydney, full-mouth non-surgical treatment is commonly reported in the range of roughly
$800 to $1,900.
What is the difference between a scale and clean and a deep clean?
A routine scale and clean (item 114) works above the gumline
and is preventive. A deep clean, or scaling and root planing (item 222), works below
the gumline on the root surfaces, is charged per tooth, usually needs anaesthetic, and
is treatment for active disease.
How many appointments will I need?
Most courses run to between two and four treatment visits,
split by quadrant, plus an assessment at the start and a review six to eight weeks
after the last one.
Will my health fund cover periodontal treatment?
Periodontal items generally fall under the general or major
dental part of extras cover and are claimable, subject to your waiting periods and
annual limits. We claim at reception through HICAPS. If your limit is nearly used up,
we can often schedule treatment across two calendar years.
Do my gums grow back after treatment?
Receding gums do not grow back on their own. Gums do tighten
against the tooth as inflammation settles, which can make recession look slightly
worse at first. Where coverage matters, gum grafting is an option worth
discussing.
Can I lose my teeth from gum disease?
Untreated, yes — advanced periodontitis is the leading
cause of tooth loss in adults. Treated, most people keep their teeth. The determining
factor is usually how early treatment starts and how consistently maintenance visits
are kept.
Why do my gums bleed when I brush?
Almost always inflammation from plaque at the gumline. It is
not caused by brushing too hard, and the answer is not to brush that area less. If
bleeding lasts more than a week or two of good cleaning, book an
assessment.
Is laser gum treatment better than conventional surgery?
Laser therapy can mean less bleeding and a more comfortable
recovery for suitable cases, but it is not a replacement for every procedure. Whether
it suits you depends on your pocket depths and the tissue involved. See our
LAPT page.
Do I need to see a periodontist?
Most gum disease is managed well in general practice. Complex
or rapidly progressing cases, or those needing advanced regenerative surgery, are
better with a specialist periodontist — and we will say so and arrange the
referral rather than persist with treatment that is not working.
How often will I need maintenance visits?
Usually every three to four months rather than the standard
six, at least for the first couple of years. The interval is set by how your pockets
read at each re-chart, not by a fixed rule.
Can smoking stop the treatment working?
It substantially reduces how well gums respond and slows
healing. Treatment still helps, but the results are better and last longer in people
who stop. We will support you either way, without lecturing.
Why choose Ryde Dental Family for periodontal treatment?
We treat gum disease in-house across its full range rather
than referring every case on, so your assessment, your deep cleaning and your
maintenance visits all happen in one place with people who know your history. You get
a written itemised quote before treatment starts, we claim your health fund at
reception, and we are open six days a week including Saturdays, which matters when
treatment runs across several appointments. Where a case genuinely needs specialist
periodontal surgery, we say so and arrange the referral.
My gums are dark in colour. Is that gum disease?
Not necessarily. Dark or patchy gums are often natural
pigmentation rather than disease. We check at your assessment, and if it is cosmetic
rather than clinical, see
gum depigmentation.
