Gum Treatments

Effective Treatment for Gum Disease

Periodontal treatment methods depend on the type and severity of the disease. Gum disease usually progresses slowly and painlessly, meaning it can take years for sufferers to realise there is a problem. However, the treatment is easier and less invasive when the disease is caught early.

We are offering free gum health check-ups at the moment.  During the check-up our periodontal expert, Dr Suraj, will evaluate your gums for periodontal disease and recommend the appropriate treatment. You are welcome to book a slot and check the health of your gums now.

The type of gum treatment you need depends on the stage of the infection and the amount of deterioration of your gums, teeth, supporting tissue and bone. During your gum health check-up you will receive a personalised treatment plan (if required), which will outline all the necessary steps and the type of treatments we recommend.

The early stages of gum disease may only require non-surgical treatment. At American Smile, we offer various types of gum treatments, including non-surgical and surgical procedures.

Gum Disease Treatment London

Non-Surgical Gum Disease Treatments:

Periodontal Clean

You can schedule a periodontal hygiene session at American Smile.

During your periodontal clean you'll receive a full assessment, personally tailored oral hygiene instructions and a deep cleaning. We ensure this is as comfortable as possible for you, with the aid of any numbing agent requested.

Scaling & Root Planing

The most well-known type of non-surgical treatment is known as scaling and root planing - a minor procedure involving careful removal of plaque and tartar from the affected gums and a smoothing of the tooth root to remove any bacterial toxins. During this procedure your hygienist will remove harmful bacteria and irritants from deep beneath your gums to prevent plaque from accumulating again. Most patients will not need any further treatment, although we recommend visiting our hygienists regularly to maintain your oral health.

Periodontal Laser Treatments

This treatment can only be used as a supplement to Scaling & Root planning procedure. It will be very beneficial if you have inflamed or diseased gums as it helps to avoid the disease progression.

During Periodontal laser treatment we usually use an advanced laser called Biolase. It helps to disinfect disease pockets. This helps facilitate healing and helps kill bacteria that may remain.

Surgical Gum Disease Treatments:

Root surface debridement (RSD)

RSD is the process of cleaning the teeth below the gum line. This involves delicate and intricate instruments which vibrate to flush away the deposits of plaque and calculus from the tooth. It is usually performed in situations where gum disease does not respond to normal brushing and cleaning with the hygienist.

The aim is to clean deep below the gum line and remove the bacteria responsible for causing gum disease. The procedure is mostly carried out with local anaesthetic and, depending on the severity, it can be performed together with antibiotics.

RSD is normally carried over a few appointments to allow the gums to heal and respond adequately.

Peri-implantitis treatment

If a person has a dental implant and it is not maintained well, over a period of time gum disease can occur around the implant - resulting in bone loss, mobility of the implant and eventually the possible loss of the implant. This disease is called peri-implantitis.

The treatment of peri-implantitis usually involves a deep cleaning of the implant and the supporting gum around it. Further bone regeneration and gum grafting procedures may also be required if there is bone loss.

Gum grafting

If gum disease is allowed to progress over time it can result in the recession of the gums, which can make the teeth look longer, result in gaps (black triangles) between teeth and increased sensitivity. Another common cause of gum recession is if you apply a lot of pressure when brushing or by using particularly abrasive toothpastes.

The management of this problem has advanced considerably, with new ways to replace lost gum tissue. It can now be done by using unique bone substitute materials to replace the supporting structure of the gums. Furthermore, gum tissue can be surgically re-positioned and transferred from one part of the mouth (usually the palate) to another to correct these recession defects.

Gum grafting can be used to cover anything from a single tooth to multiple teeth, and it is even possible to have a full-mouth treatment for recession.

Periodontal Treatment at American Smile

  1. Periodontal consultation 
    To help ensure the very best results for our patients, each case needs to be carefully planned. This may include:

    • Screening of your gums and teeth - Photography for treatment assessment, planning and recording
    • Ask about your previous dental experiences and your expectations. He will listen to you and talk through any concerns you have.
    • Perform a screening of your gums and assess your overall gum health.
    • Perform an oral cancer screening of your lips, tongue, cheeks, palate, the floor of your mouth, and the opening of your throat. If there are any contentious signs, we will immediately refer you for a detailed assessment by a specialist. Dr Suraj will take notes on any areas of concern and discuss them with you afterwards.
    • Provide specific advice on how to keep your gums and mouth disease-free, including oral health and dietary advice. He will also provide you with a detailed treatment plan and other suggestions to give you a healthy mouth.
  2. Individual probing of periodontal pockets and detailed charting of teeth.
    This helps us to see the current detailed state of your gums. X-rays maybe taken to see your bone levels. The results of this will show us which areas need to be focused on during treatment.
  3. Treatment
    This can be scaling and root planing or surgical treatment.
  4. Review

Questions & Answers

How can lasers help treat gum disease?

Dental lasers can be used to disinfect and kill bacteria in deep pockets following root scaling and planing. It usually results in more successful outcomes of RSD.

Gum grafting is not painful. Before starting the surgery, the dentist will use local anaesthetic to make sure you are numb. The amount of pain you have after surgery depends on the type of gum graft performed. If no tissue is removed from your palate, you should have little to no discomfort but, if we do need to remove tissue, you may be uncomfortable for a few days following the procedure. The mouth is one of the fastest-healing parts of the body. While it may take a week or two for your mouth to fully heal, you should be able to return to work or normal activity the day after it is performed.

If your gums rest too low or too high on your teeth and you are unhappy with your smile, you might want to do a gum contouring. Also known as gum reshaping or tissue sculpting, this dental procedure can correct an uneven gum line.

There are different factors that can cause your gums to be too low or too high.

Overgrowth of gums, so that they cover a large portion of your teeth, leads to the appearance of shorter teeth. This may be caused by genetics, certain medications or health problems.

As Featured In…

We have combined the inside knowledge and experience of American, Brazilian, European and British dentistry to bring you the most advanced, evidence-based techniques to design a smile you will love and be empowered to maintain.

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American Smile Dentists
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Tatiana Nikitina
Tatiana Nikitina
22:47 18 Feb 20
I had a very pleasant experience at American smile - very detailed and professional consultation by Dr Christian Pintado who kindly... managed to see me on the day when he was fully booked. Very friendly personnel and great service with reasonable prices, not easy to find in London!read more
Diana Mift
Diana Mift
17:11 11 Feb 20
A BIG thank you to the whole team of American Smile Dentists and specifically to Lepika for an amazing and relaxing time. I never thought a... hygiene appointment can feel like a 5-Star spa experience. Highly attentive and professional staff; very clean and comforting place; central location. Everything is just Top-Notch. I am actually looking forward to my next appointment. See you all very soon! Dianaread more
Sophie Reiss
Sophie Reiss
22:09 26 Jan 20
I had a great experience at American Smile with Dr Italo. I would recommend his services and this clinic. All of my interactions with them... were professional, friendly and helpful. If you are looking for an excellent dentist who will put you at ease go and see Dr Italo is the one!read more
debbie bergantz
debbie bergantz
14:23 24 Jan 20
My visit today with Dr. Annie Smith was a very positive experience for me. She was very kind and made me feel so relaxed. Thank you!
Victoria Rifaat
Victoria Rifaat
19:08 23 Jan 20
Robiha Nazir the hygienist, is brilliant. I’m a nervous patient & she completely put me at ease, the cleaning session can almost be... described as relaxing, definitely not painful at all. The small touches of putting a lip balm on my lips before she starts work makes such a difference to the experience, no sore cracked lips! She’s extremely knowledgeable & gave me excellent tips & techniques on general dental care.read more
Mikey Ellis
Mikey Ellis
15:59 03 Dec 19
I cannot recommend Dr. Italo enough. He is by far the best dentist I have ever met. He gave me various price options for my treatment and... I'm extremely happy with the results. He has a very friendly manner and puts you at ease during the treatment.read more
Louise Gylsen
Louise Gylsen
21:37 28 Nov 19
Dr Italo is the best dentist I have had and I cycled in the worst traffic across London to come to see him. Caring and compassionate... doctor unlike many, plus highly skilled and innovative. I have been under his care since 2016 and I strongly recommend him as the most committed dentist to patient's satisfaction I have known. And I have known many.read more
Caroline Gration
Caroline Gration
19:01 13 Oct 19
I now have the most wonderful smile, thank you! Annie and all the staff were so friendly, helpful and professional. The environment is very... luxe spa and I even got to watch a movie whilst the painless treatment was underway. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone. Thank you 🙏read more
Gabriel Oprea
Gabriel Oprea
14:17 01 Oct 19
Normally I am very anxious and worried when I go to the dentist as I had a few painful experiences in the past but today I had a great... visit at the dentist. First of all, the Clinic is fantastic, modern and the Staff were very welcoming and helpful. Dr Italo was professional and knowledgeable and made sure I was comfortable throughout the check up and treatment. Amazing experience overall and great value for the service provided!read more
Ana Nekhamkin
Ana Nekhamkin
21:12 24 Sep 19
Cannot believe this is a dental practice, feels more like an upscale spa. Gorgeous facility, incredible knowledgeable staff and very... reasonable prices. Will be coming back for sure!read more
Jessica Merulla
Jessica Merulla
20:31 21 Sep 19
I chipped my front tooth around 10 years ago. Always had it done via dentists who did not care about how my smile looked but instead just... to repaired the chipped section. I was never happy with my smile or gum line, always being extremely self conscious of smiling for photos/being up closer to people around me. I had a couple of other consultations before Italo with other dentists. One whom said a veneer would be the solution, however, I was adamant that this was not necessary. The first consultation with Italo and the team put my mind at ease and their friendly manner made the whole process a simple and stress free one. They explained every possible detail which is what I wanted, Italo was very reassuring, understanding of my insecurity and had the best possible solution. I was extremely excited to see the change in my smile! After my consultation, 2 weeks later I had my appointment. I was nervous but throughout Italo kept me involved in what was taking place. After correcting my front two teeth to be identical and contouring my gums. I must say I could not be happier with my smile!! It has given me extra confidence in every day life. For any dental work, I will be returning and I continue to recommend Italo and the team to everyone I know!! Thank you again! *photo taken straight after appointment.read more
Jason C
Jason C
22:35 20 Sep 19
I accidentally chipped a tooth during the night, woke up in a panic! Was able to book an emergency appointment to have this rectified... within a couple of hours. The location is excellent, right by Sloane Square. The dental practice itself is very smart, clean and friendly. My dentist was Annie, and I highly recommend her. She couldn’t be nicer and her professionalism, depth of knowledge and expertise is outstanding. You’re sure to come out with a wonderful smile when you come here! I highly recommend this practice.read more
cara-jane Hunter
cara-jane Hunter
10:57 23 Jul 19
Outstanding in every way! Fabulous staff, superb cleaning technique. My son's teeth look fantastic after our visit. I recommend this... dentist wholeheartedly! You will not be disappointed with the experience or the results.read more
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