Gum disease is one of the most common dental conditions in the UK, but with the right care it can be controlled and managed. Our team provides thorough gum assessments and personalised treatment to help you keep your teeth for as long as possible.
Early gum disease rarely hurts, which is why regular check-ups and hygiene visits are so important. These are the signs worth acting on.
Bleeding gumsBleeding when you brush or use interdental brushes is one of the earliest and most common signs of gum disease.
Red or swollen gumsHealthy gums are firm and pale pink. Redness, puffiness or tenderness can indicate inflammation.
Persistent bad breathBacteria in the gum pockets can cause bad breath that doesn’t go away with brushing alone.
Receding gumsIf your teeth appear longer than they used to, your gums may be pulling away from the tooth surface.
Sensitive or loose teethAs gum disease progresses, the supporting bone can be lost, causing teeth to feel sensitive or mobile.
Gum pain or discomfortSoreness around the gums, particularly when eating or touching, can be a sign that the gums need attention.
One of these on its own does not mean you have gum disease, and none of them is a reason to stop brushing. It is a reason to be seen, so the gums can be measured properly and you know where you stand.
Gum disease explained
More common than you think
Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is very common. In the Adult Oral Health Survey 2021, around one in five UK adults said a dental professional had told them they had gum disease, and more than a quarter reported bleeding gums.
How it startsIt develops when plaque and bacteria build up along the gumline, causing inflammation. At this stage it is called gingivitis, and it is reversible.
What happens if it is leftIf left untreated, the inflammation can damage the bone that supports your teeth. This stage is called periodontitis. The bone does not grow back, which is why catching it early matters.
Why it goes unnoticedIn its early stages gum disease is painless and often goes unnoticed. Many people only find out at a check-up, when the dentist measures the gums.
What makes it worseSmoking, diabetes, stress and some medicines all make gum disease more likely or harder to control. Tell us about these at your assessment, because they shape your plan.
The good newsWith the right treatment and home care routine, gum disease can be effectively controlled, and the aim throughout is to help you keep your teeth for as long as possible.
Why it matters beyond your mouthGood oral health is closely linked to general wellbeing, including heart health and diabetes management. Healthy gums are part of that.
Choosing the right appointment
Gum consultation, hygiene visit or check-up?
Treatment depends on the severity of your gum disease. The first step is finding out where you are, and that is a different appointment depending on what you already know.
Gum disease consultation
If your gums bleed, feel sore or are receding, or another dentist has told you that you have gum disease, book a gum disease consultation. It is a £45 examination with a dentist, not a hygienist visit: the dentist assesses your gum health, measures the gums, takes any X-rays needed and recommends the most appropriate course of treatment.
If your gums are generally healthy and you want the plaque and tartar removed and your home care checked, a hygiene appointment is the right booking, standard or advanced (GBT).
Every routine examination includes a gum disease check. If you have not been seen for a while, a check-up with the dentist finds out whether the gums need treatment and whether anything else needs attention at the same time.
Not sure which applies to you? Call the practice and we will point you to the right appointment.
Your appointment
How gum treatment works
Here is what happens, step by step.
In the surgery at Crow Road.
1AssessmentWe measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth, check for bleeding points and take any necessary x-rays to assess bone levels. This gives us a clear picture of your gum health, and a baseline to measure progress against.
2Professional cleaningOur hygienist carries out a thorough professional clean, removing plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline. For more advanced cases, root surface debridement (deep cleaning) may be recommended, usually with the gums numbed so it is comfortable.
3Home careTreatment in the chair only works if the plaque is kept off between visits. We show you how to clean between the teeth with the right size of interdental brush, and where your current routine is missing.
4Ongoing maintenanceGum disease requires long-term management. We provide a personalised home care plan and recommend a monitoring schedule to keep your gums stable, with the pockets re-measured so you can see the change.
Most gum disease can be managed within the practice. In more complex cases, we may refer you to a periodontist, a dentist with further training in gum treatment. We discuss this with you first.
Nervous about the dentist? Gum treatment is mostly cleaning, at a pace you set. If any stage is likely to be uncomfortable, the area can be numbed first, and you can ask for a break at any point.
Your home routine does more for your gums than anything we do in the chair. These are the habits that keep gum disease under control.
Clean between the teeth every dayInterdental brushes, sized to fit your gaps, or floss where the gaps are tight. This is the single most important habit for gum health.
Brush along the gumlineAngle the brush towards the gum so the bristles clean the edge where plaque collects. Two minutes, twice a day, with a fluoride toothpaste.
Keep brushing gums that bleedBleeding is a sign the gum is inflamed, not that it is being damaged. Clean the area gently and thoroughly and the bleeding usually settles within a couple of weeks.
Stop smoking if you canSmoking is one of the biggest risk factors for gum disease and it masks the bleeding that would otherwise warn you. Stopping improves how well treatment works.
Keep diabetes well controlledGum disease and diabetes affect each other. Good blood sugar control helps the gums heal, and healthy gums help with blood sugar control.
Come back when advisedGum disease is managed rather than cured. Your dentist or hygienist recommends how often you should be seen, and keeping to that is what keeps the gums stable.
What it costs
Gum care fees
Fees depend on the extent of treatment required and are discussed with you following your gum disease consultation. Nothing starts until you have agreed the plan.
Gum disease consultation: examination with a dentist, including gum disease check£45
Standard Hygiene appointment£69
Advanced Hygiene appointment (GBT)£85
What moves the price
How far the gum disease has progressed, and how many teeth are involved. Early gum disease is usually treated with hygiene visits and better home care, at the prices above. Deeper pockets need root surface debridement, often over more than one visit, and that is quoted after your assessment. Please contact the practice for more information.
All staff friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. Examination was thorough with no discomfort…
★★★★★Barbara James
Ellie and colleague were excellent and made me feel very calm and relaxed
★★★★★Anonymous
…explained everything thoroughly regarding the treatment plan going forward. Felt confident I was in good hands…
★★★★★Mike W
Gum care FAQs
Your questions, answered
Anything we have not covered, ask at your appointment or call the practice on 0141 334 2550.
In the early stages it rarely hurts, which is why it is so often picked up at a check-up rather than noticed at home. More advanced stages can cause discomfort, sensitivity or loose teeth.
Early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) can be reversed with professional cleaning and improved home care. More advanced gum disease (periodontitis) can be effectively controlled and stabilised, but requires ongoing maintenance. Bone that has already been lost does not grow back, so the aim of treatment is to stop further loss.
This depends on the severity of the condition. Some patients need only one or two appointments; others with more advanced disease may need a course of treatment over several visits, followed by regular maintenance visits to keep the gums stable.
Most gum disease can be managed within our practice. In more complex cases, we may refer you to a periodontist. We discuss this with you first, and you remain a patient of the practice for everything else.
Fees depend on the extent of treatment required and will be discussed with you following your gum disease consultation. The consultation, an examination with a dentist including a gum disease check, is £45, and hygiene appointments are £69 or £85. Please contact the practice for more information.
Sometimes called deep cleaning, it is a thorough clean of the root surfaces below the gumline, where tartar has collected in the pockets around the teeth. It is usually done with the area numbed so it is comfortable, often one part of the mouth at a time. Afterwards the gums tighten around the teeth and the pockets shrink.
Bleeding is usually a sign of inflammation caused by plaque sitting along the gumline, not a sign that you are brushing too hard. Healthy gums do not normally bleed. Keep cleaning the area gently and thoroughly, add interdental cleaning if you do not already do it, and book an appointment if it has not settled within a couple of weeks.
Gum that has receded does not usually grow back on its own, but the recession can be stopped from getting worse once the cause is treated, whether that is gum disease, over-brushing or grinding. Exposed root surfaces that are sensitive can be treated, and your dentist will talk through the options if the appearance bothers you.
Good oral health is closely linked to general wellbeing, including heart health and diabetes management. Gum disease and diabetes in particular affect each other in both directions. Looking after your gums is part of looking after your general health, and if you have a medical condition, tell us so your plan takes it into account.
Often, yes, once the gum disease is stable. Implants rely on healthy gum and bone, so gum treatment comes first and the implant is planned afterwards. Patients with a history of gum disease need to keep up their maintenance visits to protect the implant in the long term.
Mouthwash is no substitute for cleaning between the teeth, which is where the plaque that causes gum disease sits. Your dentist or hygienist may suggest a particular mouthwash for a short period after treatment. For day-to-day gum health, the brush and the interdental brushes do the work.
Find us in the West End
Find us on Crow Road
454 Crow Road, Glasgow G11 7DR
Next to Jordanhill train station, on bus routes, with parking close by. Ground-floor surgery with disabled access at the front of the practice. Opening hours are in the footer below.
Dentistry @ JordanhillWest End of Glasgow
