Dr. Joanna Joy N. Chiu
Specialist in Periodontology
FCDSHK (Perio), FHKAM (Dental Surgery)
DMD (Philippines), MDS (Perio) (HK), AdvDipPeriodont (HK)
M Perio RCSEd
Speaks English, Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin
Periodontal (Gum Disease) Treatment in Tung Chung
Periodontal treatment removes the plaque and tartar that collect below the gumline, so inflamed gums can settle and bone loss slows. At Bayside Dental Tung Chung, we measure your gum pockets first, then plan a scale and polish or a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing), usually over 2–4 visits.
Table of Contents
Periodontal Treatment in 30 Seconds
- What it is: Periodontal treatment removes plaque and tartar from below the gumline to control gum infection. Depending on the stage, it involves a scale and polish, deep cleaning (scaling and root planing), gum surgery and long-term maintenance.
- Visits and time: Deep cleaning is usually done over 2–4 visits of about 45–60 minutes each.
- Comfort and recovery: Deep cleaning and gum surgery are done under local anaesthetic, so you generally won’t feel pain during treatment. Your gums may feel tender for a few days afterwards.
- Can it be cured: Early gingivitis is usually reversible. Periodontitis can be controlled and stopped from getting worse, but bone that has been lost generally does not grow back.
- Maintenance: After treatment, patients usually return for a periodontal maintenance clean every 3–4 months, compared with every 6 months for healthy gums.
- Booking: We are at Shop 26, Caribbean Square, Tung Chung, open 7 days a week (Sunday 09:00–13:00, closed on public holidays). Our team includes a specialist in periodontology. WhatsApp us, call +852 2185 6550 or book online.
Our Professional Dental Team
Dr. Ming Hon Chim
Registered Dentist
BDS (HK), MFDS RCSEd, MFDS RCPS (Glasg)
Speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Dr. Purvi Ankit Gohil
Registered Dentist
BDS (Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India)
Speaks English, Hindi
Dr. Selina Chhabra Rampal
Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry
FCDSHK (Paed Dent), FHKAM (Dental Surgery)
BDS (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, India), MDS (Paed Dent) (HK)
MPaed Dent RCSEd, MPaed Dent RCS (Eng)
Speaks English, Hindi
What Is Gum Disease and When Does It Need Treatment?
Gum disease (periodontal disease) is a chronic infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place: the gums, the periodontal ligament and the jawbone. It starts when plaque and tartar build up along and under the gumline. In the early stage, gingivitis, only the surface of the gum is inflamed. Once bacteria move below the gumline, break down bone and form pockets around the teeth, it has become periodontitis.
See a dentist soon if you notice:
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Red, swollen or tender gums, or pus around a tooth
- Bad breath that doesn’t go away
- Receding gums, teeth that look longer, or new gaps between teeth
- Loose or shifting teeth, or a weaker bite
Smoking narrows the blood vessels in the gums and can hide bleeding, so smokers should have their gums checked regularly even if they see no blood. For causes, symptoms and the links with general health, read our periodontal disease guide.
How Gum Disease Is Treated, Stage by Stage
Step 1: Gum Check and Pocket Measurement
Your dentist examines your gums and uses a periodontal probe to measure the pocket around each tooth and note where it bleeds. X-rays may be taken to check your bone levels. Pockets of 4 mm or more mean bacteria have reached below the gumline, and the deeper the pocket, the more advanced the disease usually is.
Gingivitis: Scale and Polish Plus Better Home Care
Your gums are red and bleed when brushed, but the bone is not yet affected. A professional scale and polish removes the tartar, and with good brushing and daily flossing, gingivitis is usually reversible.
Moderate Periodontitis (Pockets of About 4–6 mm): Deep Cleaning
Infection has spread below the gumline and started to damage bone. Under local anaesthetic, your dentist uses ultrasonic and hand instruments to clear tartar and bacteria from the root surfaces, then smooths the roots so the gums can reattach. This is scaling and root planing, often called deep cleaning. It is usually done one section of the mouth at a time over 2–4 visits, each about 45–60 minutes.
Re-evaluation
After deep cleaning, your dentist books a follow-up visit to measure the pockets again to check whether the inflammation is under control and whether you can move on to maintenance or need further treatment.
Advanced Periodontitis (Pockets of 7 mm or More): Gum Surgery
When pockets are very deep, bone loss is severe or teeth are loose, deep cleaning alone may not reach all the bacteria. Your dentist may recommend periodontal surgery, such as flap surgery to clean deep root surfaces, or bone and soft-tissue grafts. A specialist in periodontology will assess whether surgery is needed.
Long-Term Periodontal Maintenance
Periodontitis needs ongoing care once it is under control. Patients usually return every 3–4 months for a maintenance clean that removes new plaque and tartar before the pockets deepen again.
What to Expect: Anaesthesia, Visits and Recovery
A routine scale and polish usually doesn’t need numbing. Deep cleaning and gum surgery are done under local anaesthetic, so you generally won’t feel pain during treatment. If you feel anxious, let your dentist know before you start.
Once the anaesthetic wears off, your gums may feel sore for a few days and your teeth may be more sensitive to hot and cold. This is a common reaction. Take pain relief as your dentist advises and rinse with warm salt water. Contact us promptly if swelling or pain keeps getting worse, or if you develop a fever or facial swelling.
Can Gum Disease Be Cured? Keeping It from Coming Back
Early gingivitis can usually be fully reversed with a professional clean and better home care. Bone lost to periodontitis generally does not grow back, but with treatment the disease can be brought under control and stopped from getting worse.
Whether it comes back depends mostly on keeping plaque under control:
- Attend periodontal maintenance cleans every 3–4 months
- Brush twice a day with the bristles angled toward the gumline; an electric toothbrush can help
- Clean between your teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes
Smoking and diabetes both affect how well treatment works. Smoking reduces blood flow to the gums and slows healing. Poorly controlled blood sugar weakens the body’s ability to fight infection, and severe gum inflammation can make blood sugar harder to control. If you have diabetes, your gum treatment and your doctor’s diabetes care should go hand in hand.
What Affects the Cost of Gum Disease Treatment?
There is no single fee for periodontal treatment. Your dentist needs to examine your gums and measure the pockets before giving a quote. The main factors are:
- Stage of disease: a scale and polish, deep cleaning and gum surgery differ widely in time and work
- How much of the mouth needs treatment: a few teeth or all four quadrants
- Pocket depth and tartar build-up: deeper pockets and more tartar take longer, and more often need local anaesthetic and several visits
- Extra checks, such as X-rays to assess bone loss
- Whether gum surgery or a specialist assessment is needed
- Ongoing maintenance: cleans every 3–4 months are a long-term commitment
For Prince Philip Dental Hospital reference fees for periodontal treatment and why prices vary, see our dental fee reference page.
Gum Disease Treatment in Tung Chung
Bayside Dental Tung Chung is at Shop 26, Caribbean Square, 1 Kin Tung Road. We are open seven days a week, including Sunday 09:00–13:00, so residents of Caribbean Coast and the rest of Lantau can fit deep cleaning visits and maintenance cleans every 3–4 months around their week.
Our dentists speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin and other languages, so we can explain your pocket measurements and treatment plan in a language you’re comfortable with. The team includes general dentists and specialists, among them a specialist in periodontology, so more complex cases can have a specialist assessment. Meet the team on our dentists and hygienists page.
How to Book Your Gum Disease Treatment
Bleeding gums, receding gums or a tooth that’s starting to feel loose? Booking is quick and easy. Your dentist will check your gums, measure the pockets and explain which step of treatment you need. Use the buttons below to WhatsApp us, call or book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can gum disease go away on its own?
No. Hardened tartar can’t be brushed away, so gum disease needs professional cleaning to stop. Early gingivitis is usually reversible with a scale and polish and better home care. Periodontitis needs deep cleaning or further treatment; lost bone generally doesn’t grow back, but the disease can be controlled. Read more in our https://baysidedentaltc.com/periodontal-disease-guide/ guide.
Does deep cleaning hurt?
Deep cleaning and gum surgery are done under local anaesthetic, so you generally won’t feel pain during treatment. Afterwards, your gums may feel sore and your teeth sensitive to hot and cold for a few days; pain relief as advised by your dentist and warm salt-water rinses help. A routine scale and polish usually doesn’t need numbing.
How many visits does deep cleaning take?
Deep cleaning is usually done over 2–4 visits, one section of the mouth at a time, with each visit taking about 45–60 minutes. At a follow-up visit your dentist re-measures the pockets to decide whether you move on to maintenance or need more treatment. After that, patients usually return every 3–4 months.
How much does deep cleaning cost in Hong Kong?
The Prince Philip Dental Hospital fee schedule lists non-surgical periodontal treatment (deep cleaning, scaling and root planing) at about HK$3,000–8,000 per quadrant (a quarter of the mouth); these figures are for reference only, not our clinic’s actual fees, and your fee is confirmed after examination. Cost depends mainly on pocket depth, how much of the mouth needs treatment and whether surgery is needed. See https://baysidedentaltc.com/dental-fee-reference/.
Do I need gum surgery for periodontitis?
Not necessarily. Mild to moderate gum disease is usually treated first with cleaning and deep cleaning, then the pockets are measured again. If pockets of 7 mm or more remain, bone loss is significant or teeth are loose, your dentist may recommend surgery such as flap surgery or grafting, assessed first by a specialist in periodontology.
Can antibiotics cure gum disease?
No. Medicines only support treatment; the cause, plaque and tartar below the gumline, has to be removed by your dentist. For an acute flare-up, a gum abscess or a spreading infection, your dentist may decide antibiotics or an antibacterial mouthwash are needed. Painkillers only ease symptoms. If gum swelling comes with fever or facial swelling, seek care promptly: https://baysidedentaltc.com/emergency-dentist/.
Do I need to see a periodontist?
Not everyone with gum disease needs a specialist; early to moderate cases are usually treated by a dentist with cleaning and deep cleaning. If pockets stay deep after deep cleaning, bone loss is marked or surgery may be needed, your dentist will arrange an assessment with a specialist in periodontology. Our team includes a specialist in periodontology: https://baysidedentaltc.com/dentist-and-hygienist/.
How often do I need a cleaning after gum disease treatment?
After periodontal treatment, patients usually need a maintenance clean every 3–4 months, more often than the 6-monthly clean for healthy gums. Your dentist sets the exact interval from your pocket depths, bleeding and how quickly tartar builds up. Keeping to it matters most if you smoke or have diabetes.
How do I book gum disease treatment in Tung Chung?
WhatsApp us, call +852 2185 6550 or book online. We are at Shop 26, Caribbean Square, Tung Chung, open Monday to Friday 09:30–18:30, Saturday 09:30–13:30 and Sunday 09:00–13:00, closed on public holidays. Book online: https://baysidedentaltc.com/contact-us/.
Can I use Elderly Health Care Vouchers for gum treatment?
We accept Elderly Health Care Vouchers, so eligible seniors can use them towards dental consultations and treatment. Please ask us when you book whether a particular treatment is covered and how the vouchers will be applied.
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