Gentle, Non-Surgical Gum Disease Treatment That Protects Your Smile
Healthy gums are the foundation of a healthy smile. When bacteria build up below the gumline, they can cause infection, inflammation, and gradual damage to the bone that holds your teeth in place. This condition, known as gum disease or periodontal disease, affects nearly half of American adults over age 30. Because it’s often painless in the early stages, many people don’t realize they have it until real damage has occurred.
At New Face Dentistry, our dental team provides gentle, non-surgical periodontal therapy to stop gum disease, reduce inflammation, and protect your teeth for the long term. From deep cleanings to ongoing periodontal maintenance, we tailor every treatment plan to the severity of your condition and your comfort. Patients from Midtown, Buckhead, Decatur, Brookhaven, and across Atlanta rely on us to restore healthier gums and fresher, more confident smiles.
Schedule Your Gum Health EvaluationSigns You May Need Periodontal Care
Gum disease is often silent, but your body usually gives you clues. Schedule an evaluation with our dental team if you notice:
- Gums that bleed when brushing or flossing
- Red, swollen, or tender gums
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
- Gums that are pulling away from your teeth
- Teeth that look longer than they used to
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- Pus between your teeth and gums
- Sensitivity near the gumline
Certain factors also raise your risk, including smoking, diabetes, pregnancy, stress, a family history of gum disease, and some medications. If any of these apply to you, regular periodontal screenings are especially important.
How We Restore Healthy Gums
Every case of gum disease is different, so our dental team creates a personalized treatment plan based on your exam, X-rays, and periodontal measurements. Your care may include:
- Comprehensive periodontal evaluation: We measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth and review your X-rays to assess bone levels.
- Scaling and root planing: A deep cleaning that removes bacteria and tartar from below the gumline and smooths the tooth roots.
- Targeted antimicrobial support: In some cases, we may recommend antimicrobial treatments to help control bacteria in deeper pockets.
- Oral microbiome testing: Our microbiome saliva testing identifies the specific bacteria behind your gum disease, so treatment can be more targeted.
- Periodontal maintenance: Ongoing specialized cleanings that keep gum disease under control after active treatment.
Understanding Gum Disease, Stage by Stage
Gum disease develops gradually, and recognizing its stages helps explain why early treatment matters so much.
- Gingivitis: The earliest stage. Plaque irritates the gums, causing redness, swelling, and bleeding when you brush or floss. At this point, the damage is reversible with professional cleanings and better home care.
- Early periodontitis: Infection spreads below the gumline, and small pockets begin to form between the gums and teeth. Bacteria start to affect the supporting bone.
- Moderate periodontitis: Pockets deepen, bone loss increases, and gums may begin to recede. Teeth can start to feel sensitive or slightly loose.
- Advanced periodontitis: Significant bone and tissue loss can lead to shifting teeth, painful chewing, and eventually tooth loss if left untreated.
The sooner gum disease is diagnosed, the simpler and more effective treatment tends to be.
What Happens During a Deep Cleaning (Scaling and Root Planing)
Scaling and root planing is the most common and effective non-surgical treatment for gum disease. It goes deeper than a routine cleaning to remove the bacteria and hardened tartar hiding below the gumline. We focus on keeping you comfortable throughout the entire process. Here’s what to expect:
Periodontal Maintenance: Keeping Gum Disease From Returning
Gum disease can be controlled, but it requires ongoing care. After active treatment, most patients need periodontal maintenance visits every three to four months instead of standard twice-yearly cleanings. These visits focus on cleaning below the gumline, monitoring pocket depths, and catching any signs of returning infection early.
Staying consistent with periodontal maintenance is the best way to protect your results, prevent further bone loss, and keep your natural teeth healthy for years to come.
Benefits of Treating Gum Disease Early
Periodontal therapy does more than freshen your breath. Treating gum disease promptly helps you:
- Stop the infection: Removing bacteria and tartar below the gumline halts the progression of gum disease.
- Reduce bleeding and swelling: Healthier gum tissue looks and feels better within weeks of treatment.
- Protect your jawbone: Early care helps preserve the bone that supports your teeth.
- Keep your natural teeth: Gum disease is a leading cause of adult tooth loss, and treatment helps prevent it.
- Freshen your breath: Eliminating bacterial buildup addresses one of the most common causes of chronic bad breath.
- Support whole-body health: Research has associated gum disease with heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions.
- Avoid more invasive treatment: Non-surgical care in the early stages can help you avoid surgery or tooth replacement later.
Insurance, Financing, and the Perio Smile Club
Most PPO dental insurance plans provide partial coverage for scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance. Our Atlanta office accepts most PPO plans, including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Delta Dental Premier, and Guardian, and our team will verify your benefits before treatment begins. We also accept CareCredit financing for patients who prefer to pay over time.
View Insurance & FinancingFor patients without insurance, our Perio Smile Club is designed specifically for ongoing gum care. For $749 per year, members receive four periodontal maintenance visits, two exams with routine X-rays, four fluoride applications, an oral cancer screening, an emergency exam, and up to 15% off most treatments.
Join the Smile ClubTake Control of Your Gum Health in Atlanta
Bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, and gum recession are signs your mouth needs attention, and the sooner you act, the better your results. Our dental team welcomes patients from Midtown, Buckhead, Decatur, Brookhaven, and throughout Atlanta to our office at 700 Morosgo Dr NE, Suite J-100.
Call 404-262-9600 or request an appointment online to schedule your periodontal evaluation.
Request an AppointmentFAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Periodontal Therapy
Periodontal therapy is treatment for gum disease that removes harmful bacteria and tartar from above and below the gumline. The most common form is scaling and root planing, a deep cleaning that stops infection and helps the gums heal. Many patients then continue with periodontal maintenance visits to keep the condition under control. At New Face Dentistry in Atlanta, our approach focuses on gentle, non-surgical care.
You may need a deep cleaning if your gums bleed easily, look red or swollen, or have started to pull away from your teeth. During your exam, our dental team measures the pockets between your teeth and gums. Healthy pockets are typically 1 to 3 millimeters deep, while deeper pockets often indicate gum disease. X-rays also help us check for bone loss and determine the right treatment.
Most patients find scaling and root planing very manageable. We numb the areas being treated with local anesthetic, so you should feel little more than pressure during the procedure. Afterward, your gums may feel tender or sensitive for a few days. Over-the-counter pain relievers and warm salt water rinses usually help ease any discomfort.
A deep cleaning is often completed over one or two appointments, depending on how many areas need treatment. Many patients have one side of the mouth treated per visit, which keeps appointments comfortable and lets us focus on each area thoroughly. Each session typically lasts about an hour. Our team will explain your treatment timeline before you begin.
Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, can usually be reversed with professional cleanings and good home care. Once gum disease progresses to periodontitis, the bone and tissue loss cannot be fully reversed, but the disease can be controlled. Periodontal therapy stops the infection, and regular maintenance helps prevent further damage. Early diagnosis gives you the best chance of keeping your natural teeth.
Most patients who have been treated for gum disease need periodontal maintenance every three to four months. These visits clean below the gumline and allow our team to monitor your gum health closely. The exact schedule depends on how your gums respond to treatment and your personal risk factors. Staying consistent is key to preventing gum disease from returning.
Most PPO dental insurance plans offer partial coverage for scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance. Coverage levels vary, so our Atlanta team will verify your benefits and explain your out-of-pocket costs before treatment. We also accept CareCredit financing. Patients without insurance can join our Perio Smile Club, which includes four periodontal maintenance visits each year.
Without treatment, gum disease continues to destroy the gum tissue and bone that support your teeth. Over time, this can lead to gum recession, loose or shifting teeth, painful chewing, and eventually tooth loss. Untreated gum disease also contributes to chronic inflammation throughout the body. Treating it early protects your smile and helps you avoid more complex, costly care later.
Research has associated gum disease with several health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and complications during pregnancy. The connection is believed to involve chronic inflammation and bacteria entering the bloodstream. Managing gum disease is an important part of protecting your overall health. That’s why our dental team encourages patients in Midtown, Buckhead, Decatur, Brookhaven, and across Atlanta to address gum problems early.
