Professional Gum Disease Treatments: What to Expect from Your Dentist

By Dr. Noha Khorshed · Medically reviewed by Dr. Reji Moideen · 07/03/2025 · General Dentistry in Dubai Gum Disease Treatment in Dubai

Professional gum disease treatment removes the plaque and bacteria trapped below your gum line, stops the infection that is destroying the tissue and bone around your teeth, and gives your gums the chance to heal and reattach. Depending on how far the disease has advanced, that can mean a thorough professional cleaning, a deep clean under the gums called scaling and root planing, laser therapy, or minor gum surgery. At Mint Dental Care in Dubai, most patients start with a gum health assessment and a non-surgical plan, and only move to surgery when the damage is severe. Knowing what each step involves usually takes the fear out of the appointment.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Zeeshanali, Specialist in Periodontics and Gum Care at Mint Dental Care, Dubai.

Professional Gum Disease Treatments at Mint Dental Care Dubai

What is gum disease and why does it need professional treatment?

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a bacterial infection of the gums and the bone that holds your teeth in place, and once it moves past the earliest stage, home brushing alone cannot reverse it. It starts when plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, sits along the gum line and hardens into tartar. Tartar cannot be brushed off. It has to be removed with dental instruments, which is why the problem quietly gets worse until a dentist steps in.

The trigger is usually a mix of inconsistent oral hygiene, smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, hormonal changes, and genetics. Left alone, the infection eats away at the fibres and bone anchoring your teeth, which is how gum disease becomes the leading cause of adult tooth loss. There is also a well-documented connection between untreated gum infection and heart disease, diabetes control, and pregnancy complications, something we explain in more detail in our guide on how gum disease is linked to your overall health.

Gingivitis versus periodontitis

Gum disease has two broad stages. Gingivitis is the early, reversible stage: gums look red and puffy and bleed when you brush, but the bone is still intact. Catch it here and a professional cleaning plus better daily habits can restore full health. If you are noticing warning signals now, our article on the early signs of gum disease you should not ignore is worth a read before things progress.

Periodontitis is the advanced stage. The infection has spread below the gum line, pockets form between the tooth and gum, bone starts to disappear, and teeth can loosen or shift. Periodontitis is manageable but not fully reversible, which is why early treatment saves both teeth and money.

What happens during professional gum disease treatment?

Professional gum disease treatment begins with a full assessment and then follows a step-by-step plan matched to how deep the infection has gone. No single procedure fits every patient, so your dentist builds the plan around your pocket depths, bone levels, and symptoms. Here is what each stage looks like in practice.

Step 1: A complete gum health evaluation

Before any cleaning, your dentist maps the health of every tooth. A small probe measures the depth of the pockets around each tooth in millimetres, and digital X-rays reveal how much supporting bone remains. We also ask about bleeding, bad breath, smoking, and medical conditions like diabetes, because those change how the gums respond. Pockets of 1 to 3 mm are healthy, 4 to 5 mm signals early disease, and anything deeper points to established periodontitis. This baseline is what makes the rest of the plan accurate rather than guesswork.

Step 2: Professional cleaning (scaling and polishing)

For gingivitis, a thorough professional clean is often all it takes to turn things around. The dentist or hygienist uses ultrasonic and hand instruments to lift plaque and tartar from the tooth surface and along the gum line, then polishes the enamel smooth so bacteria find it harder to cling. It is comfortable, takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and leaves the mouth feeling noticeably fresher. Repeating it every six months is one of the simplest ways to keep gum disease from coming back.

Step 3: Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing)

When pockets have deepened into moderate periodontitis, a deep clean called scaling and root planing does the heavy lifting. It works in two parts: scaling clears hardened tartar from the tooth roots and inside the gum pockets, and root planing smooths the root surfaces so the gum tissue can reattach and the pockets shrink. Because it reaches below the gum line, we usually numb the area with local anaesthetic, and larger mouths are often split across two visits for comfort. Expect mild sensitivity for a few days afterward, which settles quickly with a soft diet and gentle brushing.

Step 4: Laser gum therapy

Laser therapy is a minimally invasive option for stubborn or deeper pockets. A fine dental laser targets and removes diseased tissue and bacteria inside the pocket while leaving healthy gum untouched, with no scalpel and no stitches. Patients like it because bleeding is minimal, healing is faster, and the discomfort afterward is usually less than traditional surgery. We often pair laser therapy with scaling and root planing to disinfect the pockets and encourage the gums to tighten back around the tooth.

Step 5: Antibiotic therapy for gum infection

Sometimes bacteria need a targeted push to clear. Your dentist may place an antibiotic gel or microspheres directly into a deep pocket, prescribe an antibacterial rinse, or in specific cases add a short course of oral antibiotics. This is almost always a support to deep cleaning rather than a standalone fix, and finishing the full course exactly as directed matters, both for your result and to avoid antibiotic resistance.

Step 6: Surgical treatment for advanced gum disease

When non-surgical care cannot reach the disease or restore lost support, surgery becomes the option that saves the tooth. The common procedures are:

Flap surgery (pocket reduction): the gum is gently lifted so the dentist can clean deep deposits, then secured back against the tooth to shrink the pocket.
Gum grafting: tissue is used to cover exposed roots and rebuild receding gums, protecting the tooth and improving appearance.
Bone grafting: where periodontitis has destroyed bone, a graft rebuilds the foundation so teeth stay stable.

Modern periodontal surgery is far gentler than it used to be, with smaller openings, faster healing, and sedation available for anxious patients. Recession that is caught before this stage can sometimes be managed more conservatively, which is why we walk patients through their options in our detailed look at the treatment for gingival recession.

How much does gum disease treatment cost in Dubai?

Gum disease treatment in Dubai is priced by complexity, so a simple cleaning costs far less than deep cleaning or surgery. The ranges below are indicative and confirmed at your consultation, since the final figure depends on how many teeth and quadrants need treatment.

Professional cleaning and polishing: around AED 300 to AED 600 per visit.
Scaling and root planing (deep cleaning): roughly AED 500 to AED 1,200 per quadrant.
Laser gum therapy: approximately AED 900 to AED 2,500 depending on the number of pockets treated.
Gum or bone grafting and flap surgery: from AED 2,000 upward per site.

Treating gingivitis early is always the cheaper path. Once bone is lost, rebuilding it is more involved, so the first appointment is genuinely the most cost-effective one you can book.

Does gum disease treatment hurt?

For most patients, gum disease treatment is uncomfortable at most, not painful, because we numb anything that reaches below the gum line. A routine cleaning is painless. Deep cleaning is done under local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure and movement rather than pain, and any tenderness afterward is usually mild and short-lived. Laser therapy tends to be the most comfortable option, and for surgery we offer sedation for patients who feel anxious. If dental fear has kept you away, tell us at booking and we will pace the visit around you.

How to keep your gums healthy after treatment

Gum disease can return if the daily habits that caused it do not change, so aftercare is where your result is protected. A consistent routine keeps the pockets shallow and the bacteria in check between visits.

Brush twice a day for two minutes with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste, angling the bristles toward the gum line.
Clean between the teeth every day, since brushing misses the surfaces where gum disease starts. Our comparison of flossing versus brushing for healthy gums explains why you need both.
Use an antibacterial mouthwash if your dentist recommends one.
Stop smoking, which is one of the strongest risk factors for gum breakdown and poor healing.
Keep your maintenance cleanings, often every three to four months after periodontitis, so problems are caught early.

One symptom people wrongly dismiss is bleeding while brushing. If your gums bleed, that is a signal to clean them better, not to stop, and our guide on why stopping brushing is the worst thing to do for bleeding gums covers exactly how to respond.

Why choose Mint Dental Care for gum disease treatment in Dubai?

At our clinic in Al Barsha Heights, gum disease treatment is handled by a team that focuses on saving teeth with the least invasive route that works. We combine detailed periodontal charting, advanced laser therapy, and clear treatment plans so you always know what is happening and why. You can read the full picture of our approach on our main gum disease treatment page.

Experienced clinicians focused on periodontal health and gum preservation.
State-of-the-art laser therapy for minimally invasive care.
Comfortable, sedation-friendly procedures for anxious patients.
Personalised plans built from your own pocket and bone readings.
Transparent pricing and flexible payment options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can gum disease be cured completely?

Gingivitis, the early stage, can be fully cured with professional cleaning and good home care. Periodontitis, the advanced stage, cannot be reversed once bone is lost, but it can be stopped and controlled so it no longer damages your teeth. Ongoing maintenance is what keeps it stable.

How long does gum disease treatment take?

A professional cleaning is a single visit. Deep cleaning is usually one or two visits, followed by a review at six to eight weeks to check that the pockets have shrunk. Surgical cases take longer and involve a healing period, but the active treatment is still spread across a few appointments.

Is gum disease treatment worth it if my teeth feel fine?

Yes, because gum disease is often painless until it is advanced. By the time teeth feel loose or ache, significant bone is already gone. Treating it while your teeth still feel normal is what prevents tooth loss later.

What happens if I ignore gum disease?

Ignored gum disease progresses to bone loss, gum recession, loose teeth, and eventually tooth loss, and it raises your risk of problems with heart health and diabetes control. The earlier it is treated, the simpler and cheaper the treatment.

How often should I see a dentist after gum treatment?

After treatment for periodontitis, most patients need maintenance cleanings every three to four months rather than the usual six, because the pockets need closer monitoring. Your dentist will set the exact interval based on how your gums respond.

Book your gum disease consultation in Dubai

If you have bleeding gums, receding gums, or persistent bad breath, the smartest move is to have your gums assessed before the infection deepens. Our team at Mint Dental Care in Al Barsha Heights will chart your gum health, explain exactly what stage you are at, and lay out a treatment plan with clear pricing. Call us or book online to take the first step toward healthier gums.