Gingivitis is gum disease at the stage where no bone has been lost yet, and it can be reversed completely. That is what makes it different from every stage that follows. Once gum disease progresses into the bone, treatment moves from reversing the problem to controlling it. Gingivitis is the point at which the outcome is still entirely open.
If your gums bleed when you brush, that is worth a conversation.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum tissue caused by plaque sitting along the gumline. The gums become red, puffy and tender, and they bleed easily — usually when brushing or flossing, sometimes on their own.
Crucially, the inflammation stays in the gum. The bone holding the teeth in place has not yet been affected. Remove the cause, and the tissue returns to health.
How do you know if you have it?
The signs are ordinary enough that most people ignore them:
- Blood in the sink after brushing, or pink on the floss
- Gums that look redder or puffier than they used to
- Tenderness when brushing a particular area
- Persistent bad breath
- Gums that feel like they have pulled slightly away from the teeth
Bleeding is the one that matters most, because it is the one people most often explain away. Healthy gums do not bleed when you clean them. Skin does not bleed when you wash it, and gums are no different.
Why bleeding gums get dismissed
Three explanations come up constantly, and all three are worth setting aside.
"I brushed too hard." Overbrushing can damage gums, but it usually causes recession rather than bleeding. Bleeding on gentle brushing points to inflammation.
"It only happens sometimes." Intermittent bleeding is still bleeding. Gum disease is not constant — it flares and settles, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed for so long.
"It stopped, so it must have healed." Bleeding can stop for reasons that are not improvement. Smoking, for instance, narrows the small blood vessels in gum tissue and can suppress bleeding while disease continues underneath.
What happens if gingivitis is left?
Not everyone with gingivitis goes on to develop periodontitis. But periodontitis almost always begins as gingivitis, and the transition is quiet.
When inflammation persists, it can extend below the gumline and start affecting the bone that anchors the teeth. Pockets form between gum and tooth, deep enough that a toothbrush cannot reach the bottom. Bacteria live there undisturbed.
Bone loss does not grow back. This is the point most worth understanding: an absence of pain does not mean an absence of disease. Gum disease is rarely painful in its early and middle stages. People routinely carry it for five to ten years, losing bone the whole time, without ever having a symptom that made them book an appointment.
How is gingivitis treated?
Straightforwardly, in most cases. A professional clean removes the plaque and hardened tartar that brushing cannot shift, particularly along and just under the gumline. Once the cause is gone, inflamed tissue typically settles within days to a couple of weeks.
At Berala Dental, cleans are carried out by dentists and oral health therapists. A check-up, X-rays and clean is $250, and that fee covers three intraoral X-rays, an OPG for new patients and thereafter every two to five years depending on bone loss and periodontal status, intraoral photos, the clean itself and a fluoride treatment, along with a periodontal chart where the clinician judges one is needed. That figure assumes your health fund contributes nothing; a fund may contribute depending on your policy, and a written quote against your specific cover is provided before any further treatment.
The other half of treatment happens at home, and there is no way around that. A clean removes what has built up; daily brushing and cleaning between teeth is what stops it returning. Professional treatment works when the patient does their part too.
Not sure whether what you are seeing is gingivitis or something further along? Ask us.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
What if it has gone further than gingivitis?
If a periodontal assessment shows pocketing and bone changes, the diagnosis is periodontitis rather than gingivitis, and treatment changes. That usually means non-surgical periodontal therapy — a deep clean that reaches below the gumline, done under local anaesthetic, priced at Berala Dental between $1,400 and $1,600 all-inclusive depending on severity. It is followed by maintenance visits every three months at $400 each.
Read more about what that involves in deep cleaning and periodontal treatment.
Quick answers
Can gingivitis be cured?
Yes. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum tissue without bone loss, and removing the plaque and tartar causing it allows the tissue to return to health. It is the one stage of gum disease that reverses fully.
How long does it take for gingivitis to clear up?
Once the cause is removed by a professional clean and daily home care improves, inflamed gums commonly settle within a couple of weeks. Gums that continue bleeding after that should be reassessed.
Is bleeding when I brush normal?
No. Healthy gums do not bleed during normal brushing or flossing. Bleeding indicates inflammation and is worth having looked at, even if it comes and goes.
Can I have gum disease without any pain?
Yes, and this is the usual pattern. Gum disease is often painless through its early and middle stages, which is why people can carry it for years while bone is being lost.
If your gums are bleeding
An assessment answers the question either way. Berala Dental has cared for gums in Berala since 2002, and no question is a silly one.
Whichever it turns out to be, knowing is better than guessing.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
You may also want to read about receding gums or how our fees work.
Written and reviewed by Humzah Aly, Oral Health Therapist. This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised dental advice. Please see a dental practitioner to discuss what is right for you.
BeralaDental