Serving Kingsley 6026
The Condition That Takes More Adult Teeth Than Decay
Most people assume cavities are what cost adults their teeth. Past about thirty-five, gum disease overtakes decay as the leading cause of tooth loss — and unlike a cavity it is usually painless until it is advanced, which is precisely why it gets missed. Every examination here includes a proper periodontal assessment, not just a look at the teeth.
- Gum pocket depths measured and recorded, not eyeballed
- Bone levels checked on x-ray and compared year on year
- Recall intervals set by your gums, not by a default six months
- Referral to a periodontist where the case warrants it
- Ten minutes west via Whitfords Avenue and Marmion Avenue
- Free parking directly outside
What Gum Disease Actually Does
Worth understanding properly, because the early stage is completely reversible and the later stage is not.
Gingivitis: reversible, and extremely common
Plaque sits along the gum line, the gum becomes inflamed, and it bleeds when brushed. That is gingivitis, and at this stage nothing permanent has happened — no bone is lost and the whole thing resolves within a couple of weeks of thorough cleaning. Healthy gums do not bleed when you brush them, any more than healthy skin bleeds when you wash it. Bleeding is a signal, and the correct response is to clean those areas more carefully rather than to avoid them, which is what most people instinctively do.
Periodontitis: permanent, and often painless
If inflammation persists, it moves below the gum line and the body begins destroying its own bone around the tooth roots. That bone does not grow back. Pockets form between gum and tooth that a toothbrush cannot reach, which harbour more bacteria, which accelerates the process. It typically progresses over years without pain. By the time a tooth feels loose, a large proportion of its support is already gone.
Why measuring matters more than looking
Gums can look perfectly pink and healthy over pockets six millimetres deep, particularly in smokers, whose gums bleed less because nicotine constricts the blood vessels. The only way to know is to measure — a small probe is walked around each tooth and the depths recorded. Two or three millimetres is healthy. Four and above means there is a pocket. Recording those numbers every year is what turns a snapshot into a trend, and the trend is what actually tells us whether you are stable or losing ground.
The connections beyond the mouth
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition and there is well-established evidence linking it with cardiovascular disease and with poorer blood glucose control in diabetes. The diabetes relationship runs both ways: uncontrolled diabetes makes gum disease worse, and treating gum disease measurably improves glycaemic control. If you are diabetic, your gums are not a separate issue from your diabetes management, and it is worth telling both your GP and us.
How Gum Treatment Actually Works
There is no quick version. The sequence matters.
- 01
Assess and measure
Full pocket charting around every tooth, bleeding points recorded, x-rays to see the bone level. This is the baseline everything else is compared against.
- 02
Deep cleaning
Scaling and root planing under local anaesthetic, cleaning the root surfaces below the gum where a brush cannot reach. Usually split across two or more appointments by quadrant.
- 03
Review at eight weeks
Re-measure the same pockets. Gums that responded will have tightened. Pockets that have not improved are flagged, and that is when a periodontist referral is genuinely considered.
- 04
Maintenance, indefinitely
Three or four monthly cleans rather than six monthly. This is the part that determines the outcome, and it is the part people stop doing once their gums stop bleeding.
Services for Kingsley Patients
Periodontal care alongside everything else a household needs.
General Dentistry
Examinations including full periodontal charting, cleans, fillings and preventive care for every age.
Digital Dentistry
Digital x-rays to track bone levels year on year, and intraoral photographs so you can see what is happening below the gum line.
Dental Implants
For teeth already lost. Note that gum health must be stabilised first — implants can develop peri-implantitis, which is the same disease process around an implant.
Emergency Care
Gum abscesses, sudden swelling and pain. A periodontal abscess is genuinely urgent and should not wait for a routine appointment.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Crowns and veneers, planned only once the foundations are sound. Building on unstable teeth is the most common way expensive dentistry is wasted.
Teeth Whitening
Whitening on inflamed or receded gums is uncomfortable and sometimes damaging. We treat the gums first, then whiten.
What Gum Treatment Costs and How It Is Claimed
Periodontal treatment has its own item numbers, and health funds treat it differently from a routine clean.
- Periodontal charting and assessment quoted before it is done
- Deep cleaning usually split by quadrant across appointments
- Maintenance cleans every three to four months rather than six
- Item numbers supplied so you can check your fund's rebate in advance
- HICAPS claiming at the desk on every visit
- Payment plans available where a full course is needed
Note that many funds cap the number of cleans they will rebate per year, which can leave a gap on three-monthly maintenance. Ask your fund about the specific item numbers before you start, and we will tell you what they are.
Questions About Gums
My gums bleed when I brush. Is that just normal?
Common, but not normal — and the distinction matters. Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed. Bleeding means inflammation, almost always from plaque along the gum line. At the gingivitis stage it is entirely reversible and typically settles within two weeks of thorough, careful cleaning of exactly the areas that are bleeding. The instinct to brush those spots more gently is understandable and precisely wrong. If it has not settled after a fortnight of genuine effort, come in — that suggests something below the gum line that brushing cannot reach.
What is the difference between a normal clean and a deep clean?
A routine scale and clean removes plaque and tartar from the parts of the tooth above and just below the gum line, and it is comfortable enough not to need anaesthetic. A deep clean, properly called scaling and root planing, goes into the pockets to clean the root surfaces further down — that requires local anaesthetic because it reaches areas that are not normally exposed, and it is usually split across appointments by quadrant. They are different procedures with different item numbers, for different situations. If you have four to five millimetre pockets, a routine clean does not reach the problem.
My gums have receded. Will they grow back?
No, not on their own. Receded gum tissue does not regenerate, and neither does lost bone. What you can do is stop it progressing, which is entirely achievable — identify the cause and remove it. The main causes are gum disease, brushing too hard with a hard-bristled brush, grinding, and in some cases the position of the tooth in the jaw. For recession causing significant sensitivity or affecting appearance at the front, gum grafting by a periodontist is an option worth discussing. For most people, stopping the progression and managing the sensitivity is the right answer.
One of my teeth feels slightly loose. How urgent is that?
Get it looked at within days rather than weeks. A loose adult tooth means either significant bone loss around it, a fracture, an infection, or a bite problem overloading it — and the first three all worsen with time. Some causes are very treatable if caught early: an overloaded tooth can be relieved by adjusting the bite, and an abscess can be treated. Advanced bone loss is a different conversation. The important thing is that looseness is a late sign, so the situation causing it has usually been developing for a while.
Does smoking really affect gums that much?
Substantially, and in a way that is particularly unhelpful. Smoking is one of the strongest risk factors for periodontitis, and it also masks the main warning sign — nicotine constricts blood vessels, so smokers' gums bleed less even when significantly diseased. That means the disease progresses further before anyone notices. Smokers also respond less well to gum treatment and have higher implant failure rates. Quitting produces a measurable improvement in gum health, and it is one of the few interventions where the mouth genuinely recovers.
I have diabetes. Should I be doing anything differently?
Yes, and it is worth taking seriously because the relationship runs both ways. Poorly controlled blood glucose makes you considerably more susceptible to gum disease and slows healing. Conversely, active periodontitis makes blood glucose harder to control, and studies show treating gum disease produces a measurable improvement in HbA1c. Practically: tell us you are diabetic and what your recent control has been like, expect a shorter recall interval than six months, and mention your gum treatment to your GP or endocrinologist.
Why do I need cleans every three months when my friend goes twice a year?
Because your gums are in a different state from your friend's. Six months is a default, not a rule. Once someone has had periodontitis, the bacteria in the pockets re-establish over roughly a three-month cycle, and a three or four monthly maintenance interval is what keeps them stable — this is well supported by evidence. Stretching back out to six months is the single most common reason treated periodontitis relapses. It is genuinely frustrating advice to receive, particularly as funds often will not rebate all four visits, but it is the difference between keeping the teeth and losing them.
How do I get to you from Kingsley?
North on Whitfords Avenue, left onto Marmion Avenue, right onto Mullaloo Drive, then Koorana Road on your left. About ten minutes. Free off-street parking at the practice and unrestricted kerbside parking on the street.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your appointment today and take the first step towards a healthier, more confident smile. Our friendly team is here to help!
New patients welcome • Same-day appointments available
Nearby Suburbs
Other inland areas we serve.