Services / Cosmetic, Prevention, & Restorative Care
Periodontal Treatment in Gig Harbor, WA
When gum disease moves past the early, reversible stage, a routine cleaning is no longer enough — the infection has reached below the gumline and needs targeted treatment to stop it. At Kvinsland Dentistry, we treat active periodontal disease with conservative, proven therapies that halt its progression and protect the bone supporting your teeth. If you’re still learning what gum disease is and how it develops, start with our guide to gum disease; this page covers what treatment actually involves.
When Periodontal Treatment Is Needed
Gum disease progresses in stages. The earliest stage — gingivitis — is inflammation that a thorough professional cleaning and better home care can often reverse completely. Periodontal treatment becomes necessary when the disease advances to periodontitis: the infection has spread beneath the gumline, the gums have begun to pull away from the teeth, and the bone that anchors your teeth is starting to break down.
Several signs suggest the disease has moved past the point where a standard cleaning is enough. Contact our Gig Harbor office if you notice any of these:
- Gums that bleed easily when brushing or flossing
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste that doesn’t go away
- Gums that look red, swollen, or have pulled back from the teeth
- Teeth that feel loose, or a bite that suddenly feels different
- Tenderness, discomfort, or pus along the gumline
- Spaces opening up between teeth that weren’t there before
Left untreated, periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Caught and treated, its progression can be stopped — and your gum health stabilized for the long term.
Scaling and Root Planing: The Core of Periodontal Treatment
Scaling and root planing — often called a “deep cleaning” — is the most common and effective first-line treatment for periodontitis. Unlike a routine cleaning, which addresses the visible surfaces of your teeth, it reaches below the gumline to remove the bacteria and hardened deposits driving the infection.
Scaling
We carefully remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline and from the root surfaces — the areas a toothbrush and a standard cleaning can’t reach — eliminating the bacteria that keep the infection active.
Root Planing
We then smooth the root surfaces so bacteria have fewer places to take hold, allowing the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth and the pockets to heal closed.
We numb the area thoroughly before treatment, so the procedure is comfortable. Depending on how much of your mouth is affected, we may complete it in one visit or divide it across two appointments, treating one side of the mouth at a time.
Supporting Therapies
For some patients, scaling and root planing is paired with additional treatment to bring an aggressive infection fully under control.
Localized Antibiotic Therapy
After deep cleaning, we can place an antimicrobial agent directly into the periodontal pockets. Delivered right where the infection lives, it keeps fighting bacteria as the tissue heals — an effective complement for deeper or stubborn pockets.
Improved Home Care
Professional treatment stops the active infection, but daily care keeps it from returning. We’ll show you the brushing and flossing techniques that matter most for gum health. Explore our home care guidance →
Healthy gums are within reach. Schedule a periodontal evaluation today.
Periodontal Maintenance: Keeping the Disease Under Control
Periodontal disease is a chronic condition. Once you’ve had it, the bacteria that caused it can return — which is why ongoing maintenance is the part of treatment that protects your gum health for years to come.
After scaling and root planing, most patients transition to a periodontal maintenance schedule rather than returning to standard twice-yearly cleanings. These visits are typically spaced every three to four months — the window in which harmful bacteria tend to recolonize beneath the gumline. At each appointment we:
- Measure the depth of your gum pockets to confirm they’re holding stable or improving
- Remove any new buildup from above and below the gumline
- Check for early signs that the infection is becoming active again
- Adjust your home care plan as needed to address any problem areas
Patients who stay on a maintenance schedule keep far more of their natural teeth over a lifetime than those who don’t.
What to Expect
From your first evaluation through ongoing maintenance, we keep every step clear and comfortable.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
We measure the pockets around each tooth, review digital X-rays of the supporting bone, and map exactly where the disease is active — so your treatment plan is scaled to what you actually need.
Treatment and Recovery
Scaling and root planing is done under local anesthetic, so you stay comfortable. Some tenderness for a few days afterward is normal, and most patients return to their routine right away.
Concerned about cost? Periodontal treatment is often covered by dental insurance, and we’ll help you understand your benefits. See our financial information for payment options.
Gum Health and Your Overall Health
Periodontal treatment isn’t only about saving teeth. A growing body of research links chronic gum infection to conditions throughout the body — including heart disease, diabetes, and complications during pregnancy. The same bacteria that inflame your gums can enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation elsewhere.
For patients managing diabetes, the relationship runs both ways: uncontrolled blood sugar makes gum disease harder to treat, and active gum disease makes blood sugar harder to control. Bringing periodontal infection under control is one concrete step toward better health overall.
Caring for Your Gums at Home
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Brush twice daily — use a soft-bristled brush at the gumline to disrupt the bacteria that drive gum disease.
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Floss every day — flossing reaches the plaque between teeth and just below the gumline that brushing misses.
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Rinse with an antimicrobial — an antibacterial rinse helps reduce the bacteria that re-form in periodontal pockets.
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Keep your maintenance visits — your three- to four-month cleanings are what keep the disease inactive.
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Manage related conditions — controlling diabetes and other health factors makes gum treatment more effective.
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Don't use tobacco — smoking is a leading risk factor for periodontal disease and slows healing.
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Brush twice daily — use a soft-bristled brush at the gumline to disrupt the bacteria that drive gum disease.
-
Floss every day — flossing reaches the plaque between teeth and just below the gumline that brushing misses.
-
Rinse with an antimicrobial — an antibacterial rinse helps reduce the bacteria that re-form in periodontal pockets.
-
Keep your maintenance visits — your three- to four-month cleanings are what keep the disease inactive.
-
Manage related conditions — controlling diabetes and other health factors makes gum treatment more effective.
-
Don't use tobacco — smoking is a leading risk factor for periodontal disease and slows healing.
Your Periodontal Treatment Questions Answered
Is scaling and root planing painful?
No. We numb the area with local anesthetic before we begin, so you stay comfortable throughout. Afterward, it’s normal to have some tenderness and temporary sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days, which over-the-counter pain relief manages easily.
How is a deep cleaning different from a regular cleaning?
A regular cleaning removes plaque and tartar from the visible surfaces of your teeth at or just above the gumline — a preventive measure for healthy mouths. A deep cleaning treats active infection by reaching below the gumline to clean the root surfaces. One prevents; the other treats.
Will my gums grow back after periodontal treatment?
Gum tissue and bone lost to periodontitis don’t regenerate on their own, which is why early treatment matters so much. What treatment does is stop further loss, reduce the depth of the pockets, and allow the gums to heal and reattach more firmly to the teeth.
How often will I need periodontal maintenance visits?
Most patients move to a three- to four-month maintenance schedule after active treatment, rather than the standard six-month interval. That timing matches how quickly the harmful bacteria tend to return. As your gum health stabilizes, we may be able to space visits further apart.
Can periodontal disease come back after treatment?
Periodontitis is a chronic condition, so the bacteria that cause it can return if maintenance and home care slip. The encouraging part is that with regular maintenance visits and good daily care, the disease can be kept inactive indefinitely.