The Quiet Disease
Periodontal (gum) disease has a strategy: silence. It doesn't hurt while plaque hardens below the gumline, doesn't hurt while gums inflame, and doesn't hurt while the bone supporting your teeth slowly dissolves. Often the first loud symptom — a tooth that moves — arrives years after the disease began. Nearly half of adults have some form of it, and it's the number one reason adults lose teeth.
Here's the flip side: gum disease is detectable years before that point with simple measurements we take at every exam, and it's treatable at essentially every stage.
Warning Signs Worth Respecting
- Gums that bleed with brushing or flossing — common, never normal
- Red, puffy or tender gums
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste
- Gums pulling away from teeth (recession, or "getting long in the tooth")
- New gaps or teeth that seem to have shifted
- Loose teeth — a late sign; call promptly
How We Treat It
Gingivitis: a thorough professional cleaning, targeted home-care coaching, and a short-interval recheck. Fully reversible — the outcome we're always aiming for.
Early-to-moderate periodontitis: scaling and root planing — a comfortable, anesthetized deep cleaning that clears bacterial deposits from root surfaces below the gumline, done quadrant by quadrant. Gums re-tighten over the following weeks, and we re-measure to confirm.
Ongoing control: periodontal maintenance visits every 3–4 months — the interval matched to how fast the responsible bacteria recolonize. This cadence is the difference between an arrested disease and a relapsing one.
Advanced cases: where pockets are too deep for non-surgical care, we coordinate honestly with periodontal specialists — and if teeth truly can't be saved, we'll plan replacements (implants need healthy gums too, which is one more reason to treat early).
No Lectures — Just a Plan
If it's been years and you suspect your gums are in trouble, the hardest step is booking the exam. We promise the appointment involves numbers and a plan, not shame. Gum disease is common, treatable and worth treating this month rather than next year.
Bleeding gums are your cue. Book an assessment or call (613) 491-3300.
Periodontal Therapy — Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis?
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums only — red, puffy, bleeding gums that fully recover with professional cleaning and good home care. Periodontitis is the next stage, where infection destroys the bone holding teeth; that damage is permanent, but its progression can be stopped. The mission is catching things at the gingivitis stage.
What is scaling and root planing?
The workhorse of gum therapy — a deep cleaning below the gumline that removes bacterial deposits from root surfaces and smooths them so gums can reattach. It's done comfortably with local anesthetic, usually across two visits, and it's remarkably effective.
Does gum disease really affect the rest of my body?
Growing evidence links periodontal disease with cardiovascular disease, diabetes control and other systemic conditions. The relationship is complex, but the practical takeaway is simple: chronic infection anywhere is worth treating, and your gums are no exception.
Why do I need cleanings every 3–4 months after gum treatment?
Because the bacteria that cause periodontitis repopulate deep pockets in about 90 days. Periodontal maintenance visits disrupt them on schedule, keeping the disease dormant. Stretching back to six-month intervals too soon is the most common way patients lose ground they'd fought to gain.