At a Glance
Worried about gum disease in Burien?
Bleeding, swollen, or receding gums can be early signs of gum disease, and it’s preventable and treatable when it’s caught early. At Burien Dental, Dr. Daniel La Rota and Dr. Jonathan Everett measure your gum pockets, explain what they find, and recommend care that fits your stage, from a professional cleaning to scaling and root planing. Many dental plans partially cover treatment, and you’ll get an estimate first. Call (206) 242-1500 or book online for a periodontal evaluation.
Gum disease often doesn’t hurt in its early stages, so many people don’t know they have it until a dentist measures their gums. At our Burien dental office, we treat gum disease from early gingivitis to periodontitis that needs a deep cleaning.
Signs You May Need a Gum Evaluation
Schedule an evaluation if you notice:
- Bleeding when you brush, floss, or eat
- Swollen, tender, or unusually red gums
- Receding gums that make your teeth look longer
- Bad breath or a bad taste that keeps coming back
- Teeth that feel loose, have shifted, hurt when you chew, or make your bite feel different
- Dentures or partials that no longer fit the way they did
Bleeding and bad breath don’t always mean gum disease, but they’re worth having checked. Pus or a painful swelling near a tooth can mean an infection that shouldn’t wait for a routine visit. Our post on symptoms that call for same-day dental care explains when to call right away.
Gum Disease Treatment Options
Treatment depends on how far the gum disease has progressed.
Professional cleaning for gingivitis
For gingivitis, a professional cleaning removes the buildup that’s irritating your gums, and we’ll show you where plaque tends to collect at home. Our page on routine teeth cleanings covers what those visits include.
Scaling and root planing (deep cleaning)
For periodontitis, a routine cleaning can’t reach the tartar that collects in the pockets between your gums and teeth. During scaling and root planing, we remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline and smooth the root surfaces so the gums can heal more effectively around the teeth.
Antibiotics when needed
In some cases, we may place an antibiotic in deeper pockets or prescribe a medicated rinse. These support scaling and root planing but don’t replace it.
Gum surgery for advanced periodontitis
If pockets stay deep after scaling and root planing, gum surgery may be needed, such as pocket reduction, gum grafts, or procedures that help rebuild lost bone and tissue. We’ll explain which option fits your case and who would perform it, including when a periodontist (gum specialist) is the right choice.
Replacing teeth lost to gum disease
If a tooth can’t be saved, we can replace it with a dental implant or with full, partial, or implant-supported dentures.
Periodontal maintenance after treatment
After scaling and root planing, we recheck your gums and set up your maintenance schedule. At these visits, we clean the deeper pockets, remeasure them, and update X-rays periodically.
Even when bleeding settles, a history of periodontitis means your gums need ongoing monitoring. Periodontal maintenance follows treated gum disease, rather than serving only as a routine preventive cleaning, and helps us detect renewed inflammation before more support is lost.
Between visits:
- Brush gently along the gumline, morning and night, with a soft manual or electric toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean between your teeth once a day. If floss is hard to use, interdental brushes or a water flosser work well too, and we can show you how.
- Use any prescribed rinse exactly as directed.
If you smoke or use tobacco, quitting can improve healing and help treatment work better. If you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar also supports gum health.
Gingivitis vs. Periodontitis: What’s the Difference?
Gingivitis and periodontitis are both gum diseases, at different stages.
| Gingivitis | Periodontitis | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s affected | Gums only, with no bone loss | Gums, plus the attachment and bone that hold teeth in place |
| Can it be reversed? | Usually, once plaque is under control | Lost bone generally doesn’t grow back on its own, but treatment can stop further damage |
| Follow-up visits | Routine cleanings, usually every six months | Periodontal maintenance, usually every three to four months |
What Causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease starts with plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth. When plaque builds up along the gumline, the gums become inflamed. Plaque can also harden into tartar, which brushing and flossing can’t remove. Over time, inflamed gums can pull away from the teeth, forming pockets where bacteria collect and the bone underneath starts to break down.
Factors that raise your risk or slow healing include:
- Smoking and other tobacco use
- Diabetes
- Hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy or menopause
- Some medications, including certain anti-seizure and blood pressure drugs
- A family history of gum disease
- Difficulty cleaning your teeth thoroughly
Gum disease and diabetes can make each other worse. High blood sugar makes gum infections harder to control, and gum inflammation can make blood sugar harder to manage. Research has also linked periodontitis with heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, and pregnancy complications, but it hasn’t shown that gum disease directly causes them.
Benefits of Gum Disease Treatment
Treatment can:
- Reduce gum inflammation and bleeding
- Make pockets shallower and easier to keep clean
- Help you keep your natural teeth and chew comfortably
Your overall health and how well you keep up with home care and maintenance visits both affect your results. Treatment can’t guarantee that every tooth will be saved.
What to Expect During Your Periodontal Evaluation
Go over your medical history
We start with your medical history, including medications and tobacco use, and ask what you’ve noticed in your gums.
Measure your gum pockets
We use a small probe to measure each pocket. Healthy pockets are usually 1 to 3 mm deep and don’t bleed. Pockets of 4 mm or more can be a sign of gum disease, so we look at them together with the rest of the exam.
Check your gums and tooth stability
We look for inflammation and recession and check whether any teeth are loose or shifting.
Take X-rays when needed
Our Dexis digital X-rays show the bone around your teeth, which we can’t see during the gum exam.
Explain your diagnosis
We’ll tell you whether you have gingivitis or periodontitis, show you which areas need treatment, and outline the plan before anything is scheduled.
Why Patients Choose Burien Dental for Gum Disease Treatment
Gum disease is managed over time, not fixed in one appointment. At Burien Dental, your dentist and hygienist work side by side, so your diagnosis, deep cleaning, and maintenance visits all happen in one office with the same team.
We’ve been part of this community for over 35 years, and Seattle Met has named our doctors among its Top Dentists. If treatment makes you anxious, we offer nitrous oxide and oral sedation, and Spanish-speaking patients can have their exam and treatment explained in Spanish.
Our office is at 115 S. 177th Place in Burien, close to QFC, with free on-site parking. Patients also come to us from Normandy Park, Des Moines, and SeaTac.
Great experience! They explained everything going on with my teeth and gums – very thorough. They also took x-rays and images of my entire mouth and gave be a butter understanding of my wisdom teeth. The cleaning was great at well!
Burien Dental is the best in all the land !!! I’m incredibly lucky to have all of my dental concerns taken care of !! I’ve struggled with periodontal disease for years , and Hayley has gotten me back on track – happy smiles!
Everyone was so gentle, patient, and genuinely caring. You can tell they really want people to feel comfortable and taken care of and it makes such a difference.
Gum Disease Treatment Cost, Insurance, and Financing
The cost of gum disease treatment varies with how many areas need care, the type of treatment, and whether extra procedures are needed. You’ll get an estimate before we begin, and we’re glad to check your insurance coverage at the same time.
Many dental plans pay part of the cost of scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance, though coverage and visit limits vary. Burien Dental is in network with Delta Dental (PPO and Premier), Regence, Premera, Lifewise, and Guardian DentalGuard PPO, and we work with most other major plans.
If you’d like to spread out the cost, Sunbit and Cherry offer monthly payment plans, and many patients are approved within minutes. HSA and FSA cards work too.
Meet Your Burien Dentists
Daniel La Rota, DMD
Dentist | Burien, WA
Jonathan Everett, DDS
Dentist | Burien, WA
Frequently Asked Questions About Gum Disease Treatment
Will my receding gums grow back after a deep cleaning?
Receded gums generally do not grow back on their own. Deep cleaning treats infection and inflammation but does not replace lost gum tissue. If recession exposes roots or causes sensitivity, we can explain the treatment options, which may include a gum graft.
Does scaling and root planing hurt?
We numb the area before a deep cleaning. You may feel some pressure, but you shouldn’t feel pain.
What should I expect after a deep cleaning?
Your gums may be tender and your teeth sensitive to hot and cold for a few days. We’ll give you instructions for eating and cleaning while you heal. Call us if the discomfort gets worse or you notice swelling.
How many appointments will I need?
It depends on how many areas need treatment. Scaling and root planing is often split into two or more visits, treating part of your mouth each time. As a general guide, a deep-cleaning visit treating one side of the mouth takes about 90 minutes. Your appointment length depends on the areas being treated and your needs; we’ll tell you how much time to allow when scheduling.
Can I get dental implants after gum disease treatment?
In many cases, yes. Active gum disease has to be under control first, and we’ll check your bone support and overall health. A history of periodontitis increases the risk of problems around implants, so implants need the same regular care as your natural teeth. Our dental implant treatment page explains the process.
Can children develop gum disease?
Yes. Gingivitis is fairly common in children and teens. More serious periodontal disease is less common but can happen, so have a dentist check for bleeding, swelling, or changes around a child’s teeth.
Schedule Your Periodontal Evaluation in Burien
If you’ve noticed changes in your gums, or it’s been a while since anyone checked them, let us take a look. Gum disease caught early usually needs simpler treatment. If you’ve already been treated, we can also schedule your next maintenance visit.
Call (206) 242-1500 or book online using the button below.
