A gum health assessment will tell us whether deep cleaning is what you need.

Deep cleaning, or root planing, reaches under the gum to clear the bacterial deposits that a scale and polish simply cannot get to. That is where gum disease does its damage, so that is where the treatment has to happen.

Our hygienists use it to bring periodontitis under control and stop the slow loss of bone that follows if it is left alone.

A routine clean deals with what you can see: the tooth surfaces and the gumline. A deep clean goes below it.

The hygienist works along the root surfaces, lifting hardened deposits away and smoothing the root so bacteria find it harder to re-establish. Done properly, the gum tightens back against the tooth and the pocket gets shallower.

It is the standard non-surgical treatment for periodontitis. Untreated, periodontitis takes bone, then gum, then eventually the teeth themselves — and none of that grows back. Deep cleaning is what stops the process.

Usually after a gum assessment finds pockets deeper than 4mm, or clear signs of periodontitis. The things that tend to bring people in:

• Gums that bleed when you brush
• Gums that look red, puffy or feel sore
• Teeth that seem to be getting longer as the gum recedes
• Bad breath that brushing does not fix
• Teeth that have started to move or feel loose
• Deep pockets picked up at an examination

Most of it shows up at a routine gum assessment, where we measure around each tooth. A pocket deeper than it should be means deposits have got below the gum and need removing.

Our hygienists carry it out over one or two appointments, depending on how far things have gone.

1. Measuring — a periodontal probe maps the pocket depth around every tooth, which tells us where the work is needed.
2. Numbing — local anaesthetic, so the appointment is comfortable. If you are anxious, say so and we will work around it.
3. Root planing — deposits are lifted from the root surfaces and the roots smoothed, so the gum can reattach.
4. Reviewing — four to six weeks later we re-measure the same pockets. The numbers tell us whether it has worked.

Expect some tenderness and sensitivity for a few days — that is the gum healing, not something going wrong. What helps:

• Soft brush, gentle pressure, for the first few days
• Keep cleaning between the teeth — this is the part that matters most
• Do not smoke; nothing slows gum healing more reliably
• Use a medicated mouthwash if your hygienist has suggested one
• Come to the review so we can measure whether it has worked
• Softer food for the first day if things feel tender

Within a few weeks most people find the gums firmer, less red and no longer bleeding. Keeping it that way is a matter of regular maintenance visits rather than one-off heroics.

We will tell you plainly where your gums stand, what it will take to hold them there, and what it costs.