Gingivitis
Plaque irritates the gum margin. Gums bleed and swell. Bone is intact.
Cardiff NSW 2285 · AHPRA-registered dentists
Gum disease treatment in Cardiff, NSW
Gums that bleed, throb or pull away from your teeth are trying to tell you something. At MS Dental Cardiff, our dentists work out exactly how far the gum disease has crept, treat it properly, and then keep it in check for as long as you're with us.
20 Newcastle St, Cardiff NSW 2285
Laser gum therapy on site AIR-FLOW® available here Open every Saturday Same-day health-fund claims On-site patient parking
Gum swelling or pain right now? See same-day care below.
Five AHPRA-registered cliniciansOur largest clinical team
Laser gum therapy & AIR-FLOW®Available on site
Open every Saturday9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
HCF, Westfund, CBHS preferredAll health funds welcome
Interest-free payment plansAvailable, subject to eligibility
What gum disease is, and what treating it actually involves
Gum disease, or periodontal disease as the clinics call it, is inflammation and infection of the gum tissue and the bone that holds your teeth. Bacterial plaque at and below the gumline kicks it off. Left alone, it moves from gingivitis, which only touches the gum tissue, to periodontitis, which wrecks bone and is a leading cause of adult tooth loss. Caught early at the gingivitis stage? It usually turns around with a professional clean. Once it has shifted to periodontitis and bone has gone, that loss will not come back — but the disease itself can be halted and held steady for decades with the right treatment and upkeep. We do both at MS Dental Cardiff, 20 Newcastle St, Cardiff NSW 2285.
Who treats gum disease in Cardiff?
Our largest clinical team, at 20 Newcastle St.
MS Dental Cardiff at 20 Newcastle St treats gum disease for patients across Cardiff, Glendale, Boolaroo, Warners Bay, Charlestown and the wider Lake Macquarie area. The clinical team includes Principal Dentist Dr Monika Shah, Dr Michael Ell, Dr Arti Patel, Dr Nikhil Kapoor and Oral Health Therapist Natasha. Meet the team ↓
Gingivitis or periodontitis?
Only measurement tells you.
Your dentist records the depth of the space between each tooth and gum at six points per tooth , then matches that against X-rays showing the bone level. Gingivitis shows inflammation with no bone loss. Periodontitis shows deeper pockets and visible bone loss on the imaging.
Is a deep clean the same as a regular clean?
No, and the difference matters.
A regular clean lifts plaque and tartar off the tooth surface and just under the gumline. A deep clean, also called root surface debridement, cleans the root surfaces inside the deeper pockets and is done under local anaesthetic, usually across several visits, tackling one section of the mouth at a time.
What does it cost in Cardiff?
$295 for the full new-patient start.
The cost changes with how bad it is and how many visits you need. Our New Patient Examination is $295, which covers a full examination, professional clean, fluoride treatment and two X-rays. Any deeper periodontal treatment gets quoted in writing with item numbers first, so you can check it against your health fund.
Can I be seen on a Saturday?
Yes — every Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Our Cardiff clinic is open every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, on top of Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Saturday slots suit patients who cannot take time off during the week for the multiple visits periodontal treatment often needs.
Can it be cured?
Gingivitis yes. Periodontitis can be held stable.
The early stage can usually be fully reversed with professional cleaning and consistent home care. Periodontitis cannot be undone, because bone you have lost will not grow back on its own — but it can be stopped and held steady for decades with treatment and upkeep.
Signs & symptoms
What your gums are telling you
Gum disease rarely hurts until it is advanced, which is why so many people only find out about it at a routine check-up rather than because something ached. The signs below are ordered by urgency, not by how common they are. If anything in the first group sounds like you, do not wait for your next booked visit. Tick anything you have noticed — it takes a few seconds, and it gives our reception team something useful to work with when you book.
Symptom record
Thirteen changes our dentists ask about at a periodontal assessment, grouped by urgency. Your selections stay on this page.
Group A · See us promptly Please telephone us rather than waiting for a routine visit
Group B · Book an assessment Commonly noticed before there is any pain
Group C · Worth mentioning at your next visit Not urgent, but each one is a reason to have your gums measured
0 Nothing selected yet This is a symptom checklist, not a diagnosis. Only an examination and periodontal chart can tell you your stage. Book an assessment
If you smoke, or if your diabetes is not well controlled, your gums may not bleed even when disease is active
Smoking clamps down the blood vessels in gum tissue and buries the very warning sign most people bank on. So bleeding will not tell you much, and a measured periodontal assessment turns into the only thing you can trust.
Pus, facial swelling or a tooth that has become painful and loose should not wait for a routine appointment — see emergency dentistry or call (02) 4954 7722.
The four stages
The four stages, and what can still be done at each
Gum disease moves through stages, and the stage you are at decides both what treatment looks like and how much of it can be undone. The first stage is usually fully reversible. The ones after it are not, though they can be stopped and held. Here is what changes at each step, what can still be recovered, and what we do about it.
6points measured on every tooth
1–3mmthe depth of a healthy pocket
6–8wkuntil we re-chart and compare
Depths quoted are general guidance only. Your own readings, and what they mean for you, are explained at your appointment.
Early periodontitis
Inflammation extends below the gumline. Pockets of 4 to 5 mm form and early bone loss appears on X-rays.
Moderate periodontitis
Pockets of 5 to 7 mm. Clear bone loss. Recession, sensitivity and tartar below the gumline.
Advanced periodontitis
Pockets beyond 7 mm, substantial bone loss, mobile or drifting teeth, risk of losing teeth.
Two people can carry the same load of plaque and still land at wildly different stages, because a lot of the damage traces back to the immune response, not just the bacteria. Genetics, smoking, blood glucose control and medication all tip that response one way or another. That is why we do not judge your gums by how they look. We measure pocket depths, jot them down, and set the numbers side by side at every review — so whether you are improving or slipping is a fact and not a guess.
Causes & risk factors
Why gum disease develops
Plaque is the trigger. It is a soft bacterial film that creeps back onto teeth within hours of cleaning, and if you leave it sitting there it hardens into tartar, which is rough, porous and impossible to brush away. That part is the same for everyone. What shifts from person to person is how aggressively the body reacts to it, and how many extra factors stack on top.
Things you can change
What you can change
These are where treatment and daily habits make the biggest difference to your outcome.
Cleaning that misses between the teethMost gum disease starts in the gaps a toothbrush cannot reach. Brushing on its own will not do it.
Smoking and vapingThe one big risk you can actually do something about. It makes things worse, masks the bleeding, and stretches out healing once you have had treatment.
Blood glucose controlBadly managed diabetes and gum disease feed each other, and it runs both ways.
Frequent sugar intakeIt feeds the bacteria — and how often you eat sugar counts for more than how much.
Long gaps between check-upsTartar under the gumline only comes off in the chair, and it keeps piling up whether anything hurts or not.
Stress and disrupted routineLinked to a weaker immune response and to skipped brushing and flossing.
Worth knowing about
What you may not be able to change
These do not mean treatment will not work. They change how closely we monitor you.
Genetic susceptibilitySome people react far harder to the same amount of plaque. Family history counts here.
AgeIt crops up more often the longer you have been exposed, which is why we check our older Cardiff patients periodontally at every visit.
MedicationsCertain blood pressure drugs, immunosuppressants and anticonvulsants cause gum overgrowth. Loads of medications also dry the mouth out — and that strips away saliva's natural protection.
Hormonal changePregnancy, puberty and menopause make gums touchier to plaque that is already sitting there.
Crowded or rotated teethHarder to clean well — see teeth straightening without braces.
Grinding and clenchingDumps extra load onto teeth whose support is already shaky. A custom night guard may be recommended.
Previous periodontal diseasePast disease is the best predictor of what is coming. Once you have had it, your maintenance intervals matter for good.
Bring your current medication list to your appointment
Bring a note of any medical conditions as well. Dry mouth from medication is one of the most commonly missed culprits behind gum disease and root decay, and it is easy to handle once we spot it.
Treatment options
Gum disease treatment in Cardiff: what we can do
Our Cardiff clinic has the widest treatment range of our three locations. That means most gum disease can be checked, treated and maintained right here, no referral elsewhere needed. What follows covers diagnosis all the way through to handling the effects of long-standing disease, ordered from least to most involved. Your dentist will walk you through which parts apply to you and why, and you will get written costs before anything starts.
A full-mouth periodontal chart recording pocket depths at six points per tooth, bleeding on probing, recession, tooth mobility and furcation involvement, plus digital X-rays or OPG imaging to pin down bone levels. This becomes your baseline. Without it, treatment is guesswork and we cannot show you progress.
We take plaque and tartar off from above and just below the gumline, then polish. For gingivitis, this plus a corrected home technique clears the inflammation in most patients inside a month.
RelatedGeneral check-up and clean
A controlled spray of warm water, air and fine powder gently lifts plaque biofilm and staining. It is handy around crowns, bridges, implants and orthodontic attachments, and for maintenance cleaning in patients who find regular scaling uncomfortable. Available at Cardiff.
RelatedAIR-FLOW® treatment
Under local anaesthetic, the root surfaces inside periodontal pockets are cleared of tartar and bacterial deposits and smoothed so the tissue can reattach. We do this over two to four visits, usually one quadrant or half the mouth per appointment, so you stay comfortable and can eat normally in between.
Our dental lasers let us treat inflamed gum tissue and decontaminate pockets with real precision alongside the mechanical cleaning, and they often mean less bleeding during treatment and an easier recovery. Laser therapy backs up thorough cleaning, it does not replace it, and your dentist will tell you whether it suits your situation.
RelatedLaser dental treatments
Where a single site will not respond, we might use a localised antimicrobial gel or rinse, or prescribe antibiotics in limited cases after checking your medical history. These back up the mechanical cleaning. On their own they do not clear periodontal disease.
Where gum tissue has overgrown, is trapping plaque or is leaving you with an uneven gumline, reshaping improves both cleanability and looks. We often do this with our dental laser.
RelatedGingivectomy case gallery
Cardiff handles the most restorative work of our three clinics. Once your gums calm down, we plan how to fill in missing teeth in a way that respects the thinned bone gum disease leaves behind. Stability first, restoration second, always in that order.
Related Dental implants Bridges Dentures
If your case calls for surgical or regenerative gum treatment past what general practice can manage, we will tell you straight and send you to a registered periodontist, while keeping your maintenance care here. A referral is a clinical call, not a wall.
Once you are stable, your recall interval becomes the most important part of the whole plan. Periodontal bacteria crowd back into pockets within roughly twelve weeks, so most people with a history of periodontitis switch to three or four-monthly visits instead of six-monthly.
Our process
How treatment works, from first call to long-term maintenance
You will always know what is happening next, what it will cost, and why we are recommending it.
1
Tell us what you have noticed when you book
Call (02) 4954 7722 or book online. If you mention bleeding gums, a wobbly tooth or swelling, reception can carve out proper time for a periodontal assessment rather than a standard check-up slot.
2
Medical history first
Your medications, medical conditions, smoking status and any recent health changes come before the exam, because they shift both your diagnosis and your plan.
3
Examination and full periodontal charting
We check teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues, chart pocket depths, and take digital X-rays or OPG imaging where needed to figure out bone levels.
4
Findings explained on screen
We show you what we found and what it means, in plain words. You will hear your stage, your pocket depths and what happens if nothing gets done.
5
Written, staged treatment plan
Item numbers and costs, sequenced so you can check your health fund cover and, where it helps, spread treatment across benefit years. If cost is the sticking point, we will talk about payment plans.
6
Active treatment
Cleaning, deep cleaning and any laser-assisted therapy across the visits your plan needs, with local anaesthetic anywhere we work below the gumline. Saturday appointments are there if weekdays are tough.
7
Home care coached on your own mouth
We point out the exact spots you are missing and size interdental brushes to your real gaps. General advice will not budge habits. A demonstration on your own mouth does.
8
Review and re-chart at six to eight weeks
We re-measure and compare against your baseline. Sites that respond move to maintenance. The ones that do not, we dig into, and the plan changes.
9
Long-term maintenance
A recall interval set to your risk, re-charting at least once a year, and nudges from our reception team so nothing slips. This is the stage that decides whether the treatment holds.
What treatment achieves
What you gain from treating it
Here is what patients gain once the infection is under control and a maintenance interval is set.
You keep teeth you would otherwise lose
Periodontitis is a leading cause of adult tooth loss in Australia — and settling it is the most direct way to dodge extractions.
Bleeding stops
For most gingivitis patients, gums quit bleeding within a month of treatment and steady home care.
Breath improves
Clearing out the bacteria sitting in periodontal pockets tackles one of the most common causes of stubborn bad breath.
Eating and brushing become comfortable again
Treating inflamed tissue and bare root surfaces takes away the sensitivity that turns both into a chore.
Cheaper dentistry over your lifetime
Treating gingivitis costs a fraction of managing advanced periodontitis, extractions and tooth replacement. This is the clearest case in dentistry where acting early saves money.
Dentures, bridges and implants become viable
Every tooth replacement leans on healthy gums and enough bone. Untreated gum disease shrinks your options every year it drags on.
A firmer, more even gumline
Less swelling and, where it is called for, reshaping improve how things look as a result of health rather than as a cosmetic job.
Less chronic inflammation overall
That is a decent health win on its own — and we dig into it plainly in the systemic health section below.
A number instead of a worry
You will know your pocket depths, your risk level and your recall interval, and that beats a nagging feeling that something is wrong. It is much easier to act on.
Why Cardiff patients stay with us 
Dr Monika Shah, Principal Dentist Leads periodontal care across our three clinics from Cardiff, where the practice began. AHPRA registration DEN0001406036.
Why Cardiff patients stay with us for gum care
Treating gum disease in Cardiff means sticking with a clinic for years, not one visit, because periodontal disease gets managed, not cured. Here is what that commitment buys you at 20 Newcastle St.
More Than0 Google reviews For
Cardiff clinic
Cardiff clinic
Dr Monika Shah, Principal Dentist Leads periodontal care across our three clinics from Cardiff, where the practice began. AHPRA registration DEN0001406036. Our founding clinic, with the longest historyCardiff is where MS Dental started. Loads of the families we see here have been with us across two and three generations. For something you manage over decades, that continuity is the whole point.
The largest clinical team of our three clinicsFive AHPRA-registered clinicians on site, including Dr Michael Ell, who has been practising since 1981, and Oral Health Therapist Natasha, who handles a lot of our periodontal maintenance work.
653+ Google reviewsMore than either of our other spots, from patients across Cardiff and Lake Macquarie.
Measured, documented periodontal carePocket depths charted at baseline and charted again at review — so improvement shows up in numbers instead of being claimed.
Laser dentistry and AIR-FLOW® on siteComfort options right here, not by referral somewhere else.
Same-day emergency appointments held dailyWhich matters for gum abscesses. See the same-day care section below.
Open every Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PMPeriodontal treatment takes several visits, and weekend slots are what make that doable for shift workers and full-time carers.
Family-owned, not a corporate chainThe dentist treating you makes the clinical calls, based on your mouth.
Written estimates with item numbersBefore treatment, so you can check your fund. Preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS, all funds welcome, same-day claiming on site. See preferred providers.
A genuinely gentle approachYou set the pace, every step gets explained first, and you can grab a break whenever you want one.
Easy to reach20 Newcastle St, Cardiff NSW 2285, with on-site parking, close to Cardiff shops and a short drive from Glendale, Boolaroo and Charlestown.
Our approach
How we approach gum disease differently
01
We treat it as a condition to be managed, not a job to be finished
Every plan we write has a review point and a set maintenance interval. A clean is an appointment. Gum disease is a susceptibility you carry for life.
02
We measure, record and compare
Baseline charting, then charting again at review. If a site has not budged, the numbers say so and the plan changes instead of repeating itself.
03
We treat the cause, not only the gums
Smoking, diabetes control, dry mouth from medication, grinding and crowded teeth all shape the outcome. We go after what is driving your inflammation and send you back to your GP when the medical side needs a look.
04
We coach on your mouth, not from a leaflet
Interdental brushes sized to your actual gaps, shown on the exact spots you are missing.
05
We sequence honestly
Periodontal stability comes before cosmetic and restorative work. If someone has offered you veneers or implants while your gums are inflamed, ask them why.
06
We say when a periodontist is the better answer
We refer surgical and regenerative cases, and we keep running your maintenance alongside the specialist.
07
We do not promise outcomes
Results shift with genetics, general health, smoking and home care. What we do promise is accurate diagnosis, thorough treatment, clear explanation and honest review at every stage.
Same-day care
Gum swelling or pain today? We hold same-day appointments
A periodontal abscess is a pocket of infection in the gum, and it will not settle on its own. Watch for a painful swelling or lump on the gum, a bad taste from pus draining out, a tooth that feels raised or sore to bite on, and sometimes a swollen face or fever.
What to do now
Five steps, in this order
Follow these while you are arranging an appointment.
- Call our Cardiff clinic on (02) 4954 7722 and tell us what is happening with the swelling.
- Rinse gently with warm salt water. Do not apply heat on the outside of your face.
- Do not try to squeeze or lance the swelling.
- Take your usual over-the-counter pain relief the way the packet says, unless your doctor or pharmacist has told you otherwise.
- Watch for the warning signs below and act on them immediately.
Related: Emergency dentistry · Toothache
What we will do
Relieve it, then treat what caused it
An abscess is usually a sign of gum disease underneath, so treating the swelling on its own only does half the job.
Drain and clean out the infected pocket.
Take off the pressure that is causing the pain.
Work out whether the tooth can be saved.
Plan the gum treatment that stops it coming back.
Older patients & denture wearers
Gum care for older patients and denture wearers
Gum disease behaves differently later in life, and the reasons are usually medical rather than dental.
01
Dry mouth from medication
Hundreds of common medications cut back saliva, and that includes plenty prescribed for blood pressure, depression, allergies and bladder control. Saliva buffers acid, washes away food and carries antibacterial proteins, so losing it speeds up gum disease and root decay both. Feeling dry? Tell us. There are options that work, and they change your outlook.
02
Root surface decay
Where gums have shrunk back, the exposed root is softer than enamel and it rots faster. This is one of the most common ways long-standing patients lose teeth in their seventies and eighties — and it is mostly avoidable with high-fluoride products and shorter recall intervals.
03
Dexterity and cleaning
Arthritis, tremor, weaker grip and eyesight all make cleaning between teeth harder. Powered brushes, chunky handles and interdental brushes instead of floss usually sort this out. It is a practical problem with practical answers, and worth flagging instead of quietly working around.
04
Partial dentures
A partial denture clasps onto natural teeth, and those clasped teeth gather plaque and carry a higher risk of gum disease. Denture wearers need their remaining natural teeth checked carefully, not less often. A denture that has started to rock usually points to a change in the gum and bone underneath. Related: dentures.
05
Care for someone else
If you are looking after a parent's or partner's dental care, bring their medication list and tell us about any changes in memory or mobility. We will adjust appointment length, positioning and the home care plan to what is actually doable at home.
Long-term management
What long-term management actually looks like
Most patients expect gum disease treatment to have an end. It has a settling point instead, and grasping that difference is what separates the people who keep their teeth from the ones who do not.
Years one to two
Active treatment, then close monitoring
Pocket depths re-charted at six to eight weeks, then at three-monthly maintenance visits. This stretch works out whether your disease is stable and how prone you are to it.
Years three to ten
Maintenance at your established interval
With full re-charting at least once a year. Most of the trouble in this period turns up at a handful of specific sites rather than all over the mouth, which is exactly what charting is built to catch.
Life events
What changes the plan
A new diabetes diagnosis, starting a medication that dries the mouth, pregnancy, cancer treatment, a run of illness or heavy stress, or going back to smoking. Any one of these can wake up disease that had been quiet for years. Tell us when they happen, not at the next scheduled visit.
Technology
Equipment that makes gum treatment easier to tolerate
Equipment is only worth mentioning if it changes your experience or the accuracy of your diagnosis. Each of these does one or the other.
Dental lasers
Precise treatment of inflamed and overgrown gum tissue and decontamination of periodontal pockets alongside mechanical cleaning. Often tied to less bleeding and an easier recovery, used to back up thorough cleaning rather than instead of it.
Adjunct therapy Laser dental treatments
02
AIR-FLOW®
Gentle removal of biofilm and stains with warm water, air and a fine powder. Comfortable for maintenance cleaning and effective around crowns, implants and orthodontic attachments. You will find it at Cardiff.
AIR-FLOW® treatment 03
Digital X-rays and OPG imaging
It is the only reliable way to tell gingivitis apart from periodontitis and to keep an eye on how your bone level shifts over time.
Modern equipment 04
Digital periodontal charting
We keep your pocket depths on file and check them visit to visit, across all three clinics.
05
Ceiling-mounted screens in treatment rooms
Small thing — but it makes a forty-minute quadrant appointment much easier to sit through, and lets us show you your own periodontal chart and X-rays without you having to sit up.
Whether any of these suits your presentation is a clinical decision your dentist will discuss with you.
Gum health & general health
What gum disease has to do with the rest of your health
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition — and over the last twenty years research has kept turning up links between it and type 2 diabetes, heart disease, poor pregnancy outcomes and rheumatoid arthritis. The diabetes relationship is the best established and runs both ways — high blood glucose bumps up the risk and severity of gum disease, and active gum inflammation makes glycaemic control harder to reach.
Tell us if you are pregnant, dealing with a chronic condition, going through cancer treatment, taking a bisphosphonate or anticoagulant, or getting ready for surgery like a joint replacement or cardiac procedure. Every one of these changes how and when we treat you — and in some cases we will need to ring your treating doctor first.
Being accurate matters here
Association is not causation, and for most of these conditions the evidence does not show that treating gum disease heads off the systemic disease. What it does back up is this: cutting chronic inflammation in your mouth is a health goal worth having, anyone living with diabetes gains from close attention to their gums, and your dentist and your GP are looking at the same patient.
Meet the team
The Cardiff team looking after your gums
Periodontal care comes down to two things: the clinician doing it and the records they keep. Cardiff has the biggest team of our three clinics. Every one of our dentists is registered with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA.
Principal Dentist Leads the clinical team · Cardiff, Fletcher & Mayfield
Dr Monika Shah
Principal Dentist & Founder — Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), 2006. She has worked in Australia since 2007, after finishing her Australian Dental Council examinations. Dr Shah runs all three MS Dental clinics from Cardiff, where the practice started, and she keeps an eye on complex periodontal and restorative planning across Cardiff, Fletcher and Mayfield.
She shaped our whole approach to periodontal care: measure it, explain it, treat it thoroughly, then review it.
BDS, 2006 ADC examinations, 2007 AHPRA DEN0001406036 Leads 3 Newcastle clinics
Read Dr Shah's full profile 
Dentist · Cardiff
Dr Michael Ell
Bachelor of Dental Surgery · University of Sydney, 1981
BDS, University of Sydney, 1981, with a lot of experience picked up at Royal Newcastle Hospital. He joined MS Dental in 2017. Dr Ell has treated Newcastle patients for more than four decades, and that includes a huge amount of long-term periodontal and restorative care.
BDS, Uni of Sydney (1981) AHPRA No. DEN0001160165
Read profile 
Dentist · Cardiff
Dr Arti Patel
Bachelor of Dental Surgery, 2007
BDS, 2007, with experience across plenty of private practices. She joined MS Dental in 2016. Dr Patel takes real care to keep patients comfortable, and that counts in periodontal treatment where the same person comes back for several appointments in a row.
BDS, 2007 AHPRA No. DEN0001646929
Read profile 
Dentist · All locations
Dr Nikhil Kapoor
Bachelor of Dental Surgery · James Cook University, 2019
BDS, James Cook University, 2019, with placements across Darwin, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville. He joined MS Dental in 2020. Dr Kapoor sees patients at Cardiff and is known for spelling out findings clearly and for his patience with nervous patients.
BDS, JCU (2019) AHPRA DEN0002459331
Read profile 
Oral Health Therapist · All locations
Natasha
Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy · University of Sydney, 2021
BOHTh, University of Sydney, 2021, with plenty of public dental service experience behind her. She cares for patients at Cardiff, Fletcher and Mayfield. Natasha handles much of our preventive and periodontal maintenance work: professional cleaning, AIR-FLOW, periodontal charting and the home care coaching that ends up deciding whether gum treatment holds.
BOHTh, Uni of Sydney (2021)
Read profile Our support team
Practice Manager Chantelle, Assistant Manager Lyndal, our reception team and our seasoned dental nurses handle bookings, health fund claiming, recall reminders and your comfort in the chair. In periodontal care, those recall reminders pull more weight than almost anything else on this page. Meet the staff →
Fees & health funds
What it costs at our Cardiff clinic
Periodontal treatment is quoted after assessment, because the number of visits depends on what we measure. Everything below is confirmed in writing, with item numbers, before treatment begins.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| New Patient Examination | $295, including comprehensive examination, professional clean, fluoride treatment and two X-rays |
| Periodontal assessment and charting | Included within your comprehensive examination |
| Root surface debridement (deep clean) | Quoted per quadrant or per visit after assessment, always in writing with item numbers |
| Laser-assisted therapy | Quoted where clinically indicated within your plan |
| Emergency assessment for gum abscess | Quoted at the appointment, after we know what is required |
| Maintenance visits | Quoted at your review, based on your recall interval |
| Health funds | Preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS. All private health funds welcome. Your rebate depends on your level of cover and remaining annual limits |
| Children aged 2 to 17 | May be bulk billed for eligible basic services under the Child Dental Benefit Schedule (CDBS)* |
| Concessions | Ask our reception team about available discount and concession programs |
| Payment plans | Interest-free options through Denticare, Afterpay and National Dental Plan, subject to eligibility and provider approval |
*Eligibility and benefit amounts are set by Services Australia and can change. We check eligibility before treatment.
Practical tip: sequence treatment across two benefit years
Gum treatment gets done in stages over a handful of appointments. So we can often stretch it across two health fund benefit years and shrink what comes out of your pocket. Ask reception when you get your estimate — not after treatment is already going.
Payment options Preferred providers Payment plans Discounts and concessions
Aftercare
After treatment, and then for good
The first few days after a deep clean
What is normal, and what is not.
Tenderness and cold sensitivity are normal. They usually calm down within three to five days.
Stick to softer foods and steer clear of very hot, very cold or heavily spiced food while the area is tender.
Hold off eating until the anaesthetic has fully worn off, so you do not bite your lip or cheek.
Keep brushing the treated area gently. A clean spot heals faster.
Call us if pain, swelling or bleeding is getting worse instead of easing off.
The habits that decide the outcome
The routine and intervals that hold the result.
Brush twice a day for two minutes with a soft brush angled into the gumline.
Clean between every tooth daily. Use interdental brushes sized to your gaps where they fit, and floss where they do not.
Come in for maintenance visits at the interval we set, usually three to four months after periodontitis.
If you smoke or vape, cutting back or quitting will move your prognosis more than any product you can buy. We are happy to point you to support.
Manage diabetes and other chronic conditions with your GP, and let us know how things sit.
Tell us about new medications, especially anything that dries your mouth out.
Flag new bleeding, swelling or looseness when it happens — not at the next scheduled visit.
Areas we serve
Gum disease treatment in Cardiff and across Lake Macquarie
Our Cardiff clinic at 20 Newcastle St cares for patients from across Cardiff and the surrounding Lake Macquarie suburbs.
CardiffCardiff HeightsCardiff SouthGlendale Macquarie HillsEdgeworthCameron ParkBoolaroo Speers PointWarners BayCharlestownKotara
Closer to one of our other clinics? The same gum disease treatment is available at our sister practices, and your periodontal records travel with you between our clinics.
MS Dental Cardiff
Address20 Newcastle St, Cardiff NSW 2285
Phone(02) 4954 7722
HoursMon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Every Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Every Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
ParkingOn-site patient parking
FAQ
Gum disease: your questions answered
Yes — and it is the most common way gum disease turns up. Bleeding without pain is the early stage, which happens to be the stage where treatment is simplest and most likely to sort the problem out completely. Painless does not mean harmless.
Gingivitis can clear up for good. Periodontitis can be stopped and held steady, but not undone, because bone you have lost will not grow back on its own. What you are really chasing with periodontitis is long-term stability, and most patients who stick with their recall visits get there.
Periodontal bacteria refill cleaned pockets in roughly twelve weeks. So if you have had periodontitis, a six-month gap gives the damage loads of time to restart between visits. That shorter window is what keeps stable gums stable.
Ring our Cardiff clinic on (02) 4954 7722. We hold same-day emergency slots, and a gum abscess counts as a priority. But if you have got facial swelling that is spreading, a fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing, head straight to your nearest emergency department instead.
Yes. Our Cardiff clinic opens every Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Since periodontal treatment usually runs across several appointments, Saturday hours are often the thing that makes finishing a course actually doable.
Maybe. A denture is shaped to your gum and bone, and both shift as bone disappears. A denture that rocks or rubs is worth a proper look at the gum and any natural teeth still hanging on, not just a tweak to the denture itself.
Often, yes. Saliva guards against both gum disease and decay, and hundreds of common medications cut it down. Dry mouth is one of the most missed triggers of gum disease in older patients — and it is manageable once you catch it.
Not necessarily. Most patients who start treatment and keep turning up for maintenance keep their teeth. Risk comes down mainly to how much bone is already gone, which is why an early, careful assessment tells you far more than a general prognosis ever could.
A professional clean needs no anaesthetic for most people. Deep cleaning below the gumline happens under local, so the area is numb. Laser-assisted therapy often cuts bleeding and discomfort even more. And you can ask for a break whenever you want.
Receded tissue will not grow back on its own. Treatment aims at stopping any more recession, calming sensitivity and shielding exposed roots from decay. Surgical grafting exists for certain cases, and that would mean a referral to a periodontist.
The bacteria can travel between people through saliva, from sharing cutlery or kissing. Transfer alone will not cause the disease, though. Your susceptibility and hygiene decide that, but it is still smart to have partners and family checked too.
Yes. Smoking pushes up risk and severity and slows healing, so results may lag and maintenance matters more, but treatment still protects the bone you have got. Cutting back or quitting does more for your outlook than anything else you could do.
We take all private health funds and are a preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS, with same-day claiming on site where your fund allows it. What you get back depends on your cover level and how much of your annual limit is left.
The cost changes with how bad it is and how many visits you need. Our New Patient Examination is $295, which covers a full examination, professional clean, fluoride treatment and two X-rays. Any deeper periodontal treatment gets quoted in writing with item numbers first, so you can check it against your health fund.
Only measurement can tell you. Your dentist records the depth of the space between each tooth and gum at six points per tooth, then matches that against X-rays showing the bone level. Gingivitis shows inflammation with no bone loss. Periodontitis shows deeper pockets and visible bone loss on the imaging.
Call (02) 4954 7722 or book online for our Cardiff clinic. Tell us about bleeding gums, gum swelling or a loose tooth when you book, so reception can set aside enough time for a full periodontal assessment instead of a standard check-up.
Book an assessment
Book a gum health assessment at our Cardiff clinic
Bleeding gums are common, easy to brush off, and the earliest stage where this is simple to treat. You do not need a referral to get assessed for gum disease in Cardiff, and you do not need to have been a patient here before. Noticed bleeding, swelling, recession, bad breath, sensitivity or a tooth that feels off? Book an assessment. You will walk out with your pocket depths measured, your stage explained and a written plan with costs.
Cardiff(02) 4954 7722
Opening hoursMon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM · Every Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Not for urgent problemsPus, facial swelling or a tooth that has turned painful and loose should not wait for an email reply. Please telephone us.
We use your details only to answer your enquiry and, if you choose to attend, to create your patient record. We do not use them for marketing without your consent. The message field accepts up to 300 characters — keep the clinical detail brief and save the rest for your appointment.
