Specialist gum care
Bleeding gums are not normal, however common they are.
Almost everyone has been told at some point that a little blood when brushing is nothing. It is the earliest sign of the disease that quietly removes the bone holding your teeth in, and it is the stage at which it is still completely reversible.
Deposits removed from the gum line
The brown build-up at the gum margin is what keeps gums inflamed and bone receding. Treated at 3A Dental, shown with consent.
The signs
Things worth mentioning at your next appointment.
Gum disease is painless for most of its course, which is exactly why it gets missed. These are the signals that arrive before the pain does.
- Blood in the sink when you brush
- Blood when you floss
- Gums that look puffy or darker red
- Persistent bad breath
- Teeth that look longer than they used to
- Sensitivity at the gum line
- A tooth that feels slightly loose
- Gaps opening between front teeth
- Food packing between teeth that never used to
- A bad taste that keeps returning
- Gums pulling away from a crown
- Family history of losing teeth early
What treatment involves
It escalates only as far as it has to.
Assessment
The depth of the pocket around each tooth is measured, and X-rays show how much bone is still there. This is a number, not an opinion, and it is what tells us which of the steps below you need.
Scaling and cleaning
Removing the hard deposits above and just below the gum line. For most people caught early, this plus a change in brushing technique is the entire treatment.
Deep cleaning and root planing
Where pockets have deepened, the root surfaces below the gum are cleaned properly under local anaesthetic, usually a quadrant at a time, so the gum can reattach.
Surgery, where it is needed
Gum grafting for recession, crown lengthening, pocket reduction, and correcting a gummy smile. Done under local anaesthetic by a periodontist rather than referred out.
Preparing the ground
Every implant in this clinic goes through the gum specialist first.
An implant needs bone to hold it and healthy gum to seal around it. When a tooth has been missing for years, both have usually shrunk.
Bone grafting and site preparation are periodontal work, and they are the difference between an implant that survives and an implant that is merely placed. Active gum disease elsewhere in the mouth is treated before anything is placed, because the bacteria do not respect the boundary between a natural tooth and a titanium one.
Most clinics refer this out. Here it happens in the same practice, planned by the same two doctors together.
Dr. Anuja A. Parekh, MDS Periodontist. Over forty years in practice.
Two groups who need this more
Pregnancy and diabetes both show up in the gums first.
Gum change during pregnancy
Hormonal change makes gums react far more strongly to the same amount of plaque, so bleeding, swelling and tenderness appear suddenly and are frightening. They are usually manageable with a cleaning and better technique rather than anything dramatic.
Routine dental treatment during pregnancy is safe when it is planned properly, and untreated gum infection is not a neutral thing to carry to term. If your gums have changed, come in rather than wait.
Gums and diabetes
The relationship runs both ways. Poorly controlled blood sugar makes gum disease worse and harder to treat, and active gum infection makes blood sugar harder to control.
For a diabetic patient, gum maintenance is part of managing the condition rather than cosmetic housekeeping, and it is one of the few parts a dentist can help with directly. Tell us at the first visit and the recall interval is set accordingly.
What it costs
A professional clean is ₹1,500 to 2,000.
Scaling and polishing of the whole mouth, by the team of an MDS periodontist.
Scaling and polishing
₹1,500 to 2,000
Full-mouth cleaning of tartar and stains, usually in one visit.
Gum careConsultation and check-up
₹500
Includes the X-ray. You leave with a written plan and the full cost before any treatment starts.
Book a consultationGum questions
What patients ask about their gums.
My gums bleed when I brush. Is that serious?
It is the first sign of inflammation, and at that stage it is completely reversible. Left for years it becomes bone loss, which is not. Bleeding is the body telling you something useful, so it is worth acting on rather than brushing more gently around it.
Does scaling loosen the teeth or damage enamel?
No. This is the most persistent myth in Indian dentistry. What happens is that hard deposits have been splinting slightly mobile teeth together, and removing them briefly makes that mobility noticeable. The deposits were the problem, not the cleaning. Enamel is not removed.
How often should I have a cleaning?
Every six months suits most people. Every three to four months for smokers, diabetics, patients with a history of gum disease and anyone with implants or extensive bridgework. The interval is set from your own measurements rather than from a standard rule.
Can receded gums grow back?
Not on their own. Grafting can cover exposed root surface in suitable cases, and stopping the cause, which is usually brushing too hard or gum disease, prevents further loss. The realistic goal is to halt it and then decide whether covering is worth doing.
Is gum surgery painful?
The procedure itself is done under local anaesthetic and you should feel pressure rather than pain. Soreness for a few days afterwards is normal and managed with ordinary painkillers and specific aftercare instructions you are given in writing.
I have bad breath that will not go. Is that my gums?
Frequently yes. Bacteria in deep pockets and on the back of the tongue are the most common source, and mouthwash only masks it. It is worth having looked at properly rather than treated from a chemist shelf.
How much does scaling cost?
Scaling and polishing of the whole mouth is ₹1,500 to ₹2,000. If your gums need deeper treatment, Dr. Anuja explains what and why, with the cost, before anything is done.
Cleanings and check-ups
The routine side of keeping gums and teeth where they are.
See general dentistryWhen a tooth is already lost
Replacing it, with the gum and bone prepared properly first.
See implantsGummy smile and uneven gums
Gum levels are corrected before the teeth are designed.
See smile designTalk to us first
Send us your problem before you send us a booking.
Tell us what is bothering you on WhatsApp. If you already have an X-ray or an OPG, send a photo of it. You will get an honest answer from a dentist, not a call centre, and you will know what you are walking into before you sit in the chair.