Gingivitis
Plaque along the gumline inflames the gum tissue. Gums bleed and look red. No bone has been lost.
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View Plans →Healthy gums do not bleed when you brush. At MS Dental Fletcher, our dentists and oral health therapist work out why yours are bleeding and treat the cause, then set an interval that keeps your gums stable.
9 Churnwood Drive, Fletcher NSW 2287
Not sure whether it is gum disease? The signs are listed below.
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is inflammation and infection of the gums and of the bone that supports your teeth. Bacterial plaque building up along and beneath the gumline causes it. Left alone it progresses from gingivitis to periodontitis, and periodontitis is a leading cause of adult tooth loss in Australia.
Gingivitis, the early stage, usually clears completely with professional cleaning and consistent home care. Periodontitis cannot be reversed, because lost bone does not grow back on its own. It can be stabilised and managed long term so that the damage stops where it is.
A professional clean needs no anaesthetic for the majority of patients. Cleaning below the gumline is done under local anaesthetic, so the area is numb throughout. Laser-assisted treatment, available at our Fletcher clinic, often reduces bleeding and discomfort further.
A routine clean for early gingivitis is one appointment of about 45 to 60 minutes. Moderate to advanced periodontitis usually takes two to four appointments, often one quadrant or half of the mouth at a time, then a review at six to eight weeks and ongoing maintenance visits.
Cost depends on the severity and the number of appointments required. Our New Patient Examination is $295 and covers a comprehensive examination, professional clean, fluoride treatment and two X-rays. Before any deeper periodontal treatment begins, you receive a written estimate with item numbers.
Principal Dentist Dr Monika Shah leads the clinical team, supported by Dr Nikhil Kapoor and Oral Health Therapist Natasha. Meet the team ↓
MS Dental Fletcher, at 9 Churnwood Drive, Fletcher NSW 2287, treats gum disease for patients across Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend and the north-western Newcastle suburbs.
Gum disease rarely hurts in its early stages, which is why so much of it goes unnoticed. Most people see a change in how their gums look or behave well before anything starts to ache. If any of the signs below sound familiar, book an assessment. Early gum disease takes less treatment and costs less than advanced gum disease. Tick anything you have noticed — it gives our reception team something useful to work with when you book.
Ten changes our dentists ask about at a periodontal assessment. Your selections stay on this page.
Smokers and people with diabetes often show fewer visible symptoms. Smoking reduces gum bleeding, and both conditions change how the body responds to inflammation. If either applies to you, do not wait for bleeding as your warning sign. Book a periodontal assessment.
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) 4953 8614.
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, and what we do about it.
Depths quoted are general guidance only. Your own readings, and what they mean for you, are explained at your appointment.
Plaque along the gumline inflames the gum tissue. Gums bleed and look red. No bone has been lost.
Reversible — yes, usually fullyProfessional clean, oral hygiene coaching, reviewInflammation spreads below the gumline. Small pockets form and X-rays show the first bone loss.
Bone loss is permanent, but progression can be stoppedDeep cleaning of affected sites, hygiene plan, three-monthly monitoringPockets deepen. Bone loss is clearly visible. Gums recede and teeth may become sensitive.
Stabilisation is the goalQuadrant-by-quadrant deep cleaning under local anaestheticLaser-assisted therapy where suitable, three-monthly maintenanceSignificant bone loss. Teeth loosen, drift or become painful. Tooth loss becomes likely without treatment.
Stabilisation, then rebuilding functionIntensive periodontal therapy, specialist referral where indicatedThen restorative planning such as bridges, dentures or dental implantsProgression is neither inevitable nor uniform. Some patients stay at the gingivitis stage for years with regular cleans. Others move faster because of genetics, smoking, diabetes or the particular bacteria in their mouth. We measure and record pocket depths at every periodontal assessment instead of judging by appearance, because those measurements are what show whether your gums are stable, improving or getting worse.
These are where treatment and daily habits make the biggest difference to your outcome.
These do not mean treatment will not work. They change how closely we monitor you.
Bring a current list of your medications and any medical conditions to your appointment. Gum disease management is as much medical as dental, and your full history changes how we plan treatment.
There is no single treatment for gum disease. The right approach depends on how deep your pockets are, how much bone has been lost, and what has been driving the inflammation. The treatments we provide at Fletcher are below, from least to most involved. Your dentist will explain which ones apply to you, why, and what each one costs before anything begins.
DiagnosticSix points per toothBaseline chart
Treatment starts with an accurate picture. That means a full-mouth periodontal chart recording pocket depths at six points per tooth, bleeding points, recession measurements and tooth mobility, plus digital X-rays or an OPG where bone levels need assessing. This chart becomes your baseline, and we re-measure against it so progress can be shown in numbers.
Non-surgicalFor gingivitisTwo to four weeks
Removal of plaque and calculus from above and just below the gumline, followed by polishing. For most patients with early gum disease, this plus improved home technique clears the inflammation within two to four weeks.
RelatedGeneral check-up and clean
Non-surgicalAvailable at Fletcher
AIR-FLOW uses a controlled spray of warm water, air and a fine powder to lift plaque biofilm and surface staining. Many patients find it more comfortable than traditional scaling for maintenance cleaning, and it cleans gently around crowns, implants and orthodontic attachments. AIR-FLOW is available at our Fletcher clinic.
RelatedAIR-FLOW® treatment
Local anaestheticTwo to four visitsBy quadrant
Also called scaling and root planing. Working under local anaesthetic, we clean the root surfaces inside the periodontal pockets, remove calculus and bacterial deposits that brushing cannot reach, and smooth the root so tissue can reattach. This usually takes two to four visits, treating one section of the mouth at a time so you stay comfortable and can eat normally in between.
Adjunct therapyOn site at Fletcher
Our dental lasers treat inflamed gum tissue precisely and can decontaminate periodontal pockets alongside deep cleaning. Laser treatment is often associated with less bleeding during the procedure and a more comfortable recovery. It works together with thorough mechanical cleaning, which still has to be done, so your dentist will advise whether laser therapy suits your presentation.
RelatedLaser dental treatments
AdjunctSite specific
Where a specific site is not responding, we may use a localised antimicrobial rinse or gel. In limited circumstances, and after assessing your medical history, we may prescribe antibiotics. Antimicrobials only support the mechanical cleaning; the cleaning still has to happen.
Laser assistedTissue reshaping
Where gum tissue has overgrown, is trapping plaque, or is contributing to an uneven gumline, reshaping the tissue improves how easily you can clean it and how it looks. We frequently do this with our dental laser.
RelatedGingivectomy case gallery
Sequenced planningRestorative
Advanced gum disease often leaves problems that need attention once the infection is stable: sensitive exposed roots, decay at the root surface, gaps from lost teeth, or teeth that have drifted. We plan these in sequence, with stability first and restoration second.
Related Fillings Crowns Dental implants Dentures
Registered periodontistMaintenance stays with us
If your presentation calls for surgical periodontal treatment or regenerative procedures beyond the scope of general practice, we will say so and refer you to a registered periodontist. Your ongoing maintenance care continues with us.
MaintenanceThree to four-monthly
Once gums are stable, the interval between cleans matters more than any single treatment. Most patients who have had periodontitis move to three or four-monthly maintenance visits instead of six-monthly, because the bacteria repopulate pockets within roughly twelve weeks.
You will always know what happens next, what it will cost, and why we are recommending it.
Call (02) 4953 8614 or book online for the Fletcher clinic. Mentioning bleeding gums or loose teeth when you book helps our reception team allocate enough chair time for a full periodontal assessment.
Your dentist reviews your medical history and medications, examines your teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues, and records a full periodontal chart. Digital X-rays or OPG imaging are taken where bone levels need assessing.
We show you what we found, on screen where possible, and explain your stage of gum disease, what has caused it in your case, and what happens if it is left. No jargon, and no pressure to proceed.
You receive a staged plan with item numbers and costs, so you can check it against your health fund before proceeding. If cost is a barrier, we will discuss payment plans and how to sequence treatment sensibly.
Cleaning, deep cleaning and any laser-assisted therapy, completed across the number of visits your plan requires, with local anaesthetic wherever treatment goes below the gumline.
Generic advice does not change what people actually do. We identify the sites you are missing and demonstrate technique, interdental brush sizing and adjunct products for those areas.
We re-chart your pockets and compare them against baseline. Sites that have responded move to maintenance. Sites that have not are investigated further and the plan is adjusted.
A recall interval set for your risk level, usually three to four months after periodontitis, with re-charting at least once a year so any deterioration is caught early. We send a reminder when you are due.
Treatment does more than settle your gums down. This is what patients gain.
Periodontitis is a leading cause of adult tooth loss in Australia, and stabilising it is the most effective way to keep the teeth you still have.
For most patients with gingivitis, gums stop bleeding within two to four weeks of treatment and improved home care.
Clearing the bacterial reservoir out of periodontal pockets addresses one of the most common causes of persistent bad breath.
Treating inflamed tissue and recession-related sensitivity makes brushing, eating and drinking comfortable again.
Treating gingivitis costs a fraction of managing advanced periodontitis and its consequences.
Reducing swelling and, where indicated, reshaping tissue improves how your smile looks as a by-product of treating the disease.
Crowns, bridges, implants and orthodontic treatment all depend on healthy gums and bone, so periodontal stability comes first.
Reducing chronic inflammation in your mouth is a worthwhile health goal in its own right. The section below sets out what the evidence does and does not show.
Your pocket depths, your risk level and your plan are written down and you can act on them.
Gum disease takes more than one visit to treat, so where you go matters more here than it does for a filling. This is what you get at our Churnwood Drive clinic.
A clean deals with today. Gum disease comes back whenever the bacterial balance shifts, so our plans always include a review point and a defined maintenance interval, not just a treatment date.
Full-mouth periodontal charting at baseline, re-charting at review. If a site has not improved, the numbers show it and we change the plan.
Smoking, diabetes control, medication side effects, grinding, crowded teeth and dry mouth all change the outcome of gum treatment. We address what is driving your inflammation, and we will refer you back to your GP where the medical side needs attention.
Interdental brushes sized to your gaps and demonstrated on the specific sites you are missing, instead of a leaflet about flossing.
Gum stability comes before cosmetic or restorative work. If someone has offered you veneers or implants while your gums are actively inflamed, ask why.
We refer to periodontists where surgical or regenerative treatment is indicated, and we continue your maintenance care alongside them.
Individual results vary with genetics, general health, smoking status and home care. What we commit to is accurate diagnosis, thorough treatment, clear explanation and honest review.
Equipment is only worth mentioning if it changes your experience or the accuracy of your diagnosis. Each of these does one or the other.
Precise treatment of inflamed and overgrown gum tissue, and decontamination of periodontal pockets alongside mechanical cleaning. Often associated with reduced bleeding during treatment and a more comfortable recovery, used as an adjunct to thorough cleaning rather than instead of it.
Removes plaque biofilm and surface stain gently using warm water, air and fine powder. Many patients find it more comfortable than traditional scaling for maintenance cleaning, and it cleans gently around crowns, implants and orthodontic attachments. Available at Fletcher.
AIR-FLOW® treatmentTo assess bone levels around each tooth. This is the only reliable way to tell gingivitis from periodontitis.
Modern equipmentSo your pocket depths are recorded, stored and compared visit to visit.
A small thing that makes longer appointments easier, and it 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 disease is an inflammatory condition, and research over the past two decades has consistently found associations between periodontitis and several systemic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes and rheumatoid arthritis. The link with diabetes is the best established, and it works in both directions. Poorly controlled blood glucose increases the risk and severity of gum disease, while active gum inflammation makes glycaemic control more difficult.
If you are managing a chronic condition, are pregnant, or are preparing for surgery such as a joint replacement or cardiac procedure, tell us. It changes how and when we treat.
Association is not the same as causation, and for most of these conditions the research does not establish that treating gum disease prevents the systemic illness. What the evidence supports is narrower: reducing chronic inflammation in your mouth is a sensible health goal, people managing diabetes benefit from close attention to their gums, and your dentist and your GP are looking at the same patient.
Gum disease care depends on the person doing it and the records they keep. Here is who you will see at our Fletcher clinic. All of our dentists are registered with the Dental Board of Australia (AHPRA).
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), 2006. Practising in Australia since 2007 after completing her Australian Dental Council examinations. AHPRA registration DEN0001406036. Dr Shah leads all three MS Dental clinics, has cared for Newcastle families for over a decade, and oversees complex periodontal and restorative planning across Cardiff, Fletcher and Mayfield.
She set the practice's approach to periodontal care: measure, explain, treat thoroughly, then review.
Bachelor of Dental Surgery, James Cook University, 2019, with clinical placements across Darwin, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville. Joined MS Dental in 2020. Dr Kapoor treats patients at our Fletcher clinic and is known for taking time with nervous patients and explaining findings clearly.
Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy, University of Sydney, 2021, with extensive public dental service experience. Cares for patients at Cardiff, Fletcher and Mayfield. Natasha carries out much of our preventive and periodontal maintenance work, including professional cleaning, AIR-FLOW, periodontal charting and the home care coaching that determines whether gum treatment holds.
Practice Manager Chantelle, Assistant Manager Lyndal, our reception team and our experienced dental nurses look after your bookings, health fund claiming, recall reminders and comfort during treatment. Recall reminders matter more in periodontal care than in almost any other area of dentistry. Meet the staff →
What is normal, and what is not.
The habits and intervals that hold the result.
Our Fletcher clinic at 9 Churnwood Drive cares for patients from Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend and the surrounding north-western Newcastle suburbs.
Closer to another clinic? We provide the same gum disease treatment at MS Dental Cardiff and at Mayfield Dental Care.
It is the earliest reliable sign of gum inflammation and it should be assessed. Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed correctly. At the gingivitis stage the condition is usually fully reversible, so treat bleeding as an early warning rather than a minor annoyance.
Not necessarily. Most patients who begin treatment and attend maintenance visits keep their teeth. The risk rises with the amount of bone already lost, so the earlier you are assessed, the better the outlook.
Gingivitis affects only the gum tissue and is reversible. Periodontitis has gone on to destroy the bone supporting the teeth, which cannot be reversed but can be stabilised. X-rays and pocket measurements are what distinguish the two.
That depends on your pocket depths. Pockets up to about 3 mm can usually be managed with a regular clean. Deeper pockets hold bacteria that a standard clean cannot reach, and they need cleaning below the gumline under local anaesthetic.
Early gingivitis is often one appointment plus a review. Moderate to advanced periodontitis typically needs two to four treatment visits, a review at six to eight weeks, then maintenance visits every three to four months.
Laser therapy is generally well tolerated and is often associated with less bleeding and discomfort than conventional treatment alone. Local anaesthetic is still used where treatment extends below the gumline. Your dentist will discuss whether laser therapy suits your case.
Receded gum tissue does not regrow on its own. Treatment focuses on stopping further recession, managing sensitivity on exposed roots, and protecting those root surfaces from decay. Surgical grafting is available in selected cases and would require a referral.
The bacteria involved can pass between people through saliva, for example by sharing utensils or through kissing. Transferring bacteria does not by itself cause disease, since susceptibility and hygiene determine that, but it is worth having partners and family members assessed too.
Yes, and gum inflammation commonly increases during pregnancy because of hormonal changes. Professional cleaning is safe and recommended. Tell us you are pregnant and how far along you are, so we can plan timing, positioning and imaging appropriately.
Yes. Smoking increases the risk and severity of gum disease and slows healing, so results may come more slowly and maintenance matters more. Treatment still protects the support you have, and reducing or stopping improves your outlook substantially.
We accept all private health funds and are a preferred provider for HCF, Westfund and CBHS. We claim on site where your fund supports it. Your rebate depends on your level of cover and your remaining limits.
No. Many of our patients come to us after long gaps, often because of bleeding gums. We start where you are, at your pace, with each step explained before it happens.
Cost depends on the severity and the number of appointments required. Our New Patient Examination is $295 and covers a comprehensive examination, professional clean, fluoride treatment and two X-rays. Before any deeper periodontal treatment begins, you receive a written estimate with item numbers.
Call our Fletcher clinic on (02) 4953 8614 or book online. Mention bleeding gums, receding gums or a loose tooth when you book, so we allocate enough time for a full periodontal assessment.
Bleeding gums are common, and they are also the earliest and easiest point at which gum disease can be treated. You do not need a referral to be assessed and treated for gum disease in Fletcher. If you have noticed bleeding, swelling, recession, bad breath or a tooth that feels different, book an assessment at MS Dental Fletcher. You will leave with your diagnosis, your plan and your estimate in writing.
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, so please keep clinical detail brief and save the rest for your appointment. Pus, facial swelling or a tooth that has become painful and loose should not wait for an email reply — please telephone us.
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