Periodontal treatment at Lambton Dental
Gum disease is one of the most common chronic conditions in Canadian adults and, left untreated, is a common cause of tooth loss. At Lambton Dental in West Toronto we treat gum disease with scaling and root planing, targeted deep cleaning and structured maintenance, coordinated by the hygienist and the dentist.
What is periodontal treatment?
Periodontal treatment is care aimed at gum disease — inflammation and infection in the tissues that support the teeth. Early gum disease (gingivitis) shows up as bleeding gums and inflammation and is often reversible with a professional cleaning and improved home care. Later gum disease (periodontitis) involves loss of the bone that anchors the teeth and needs more targeted treatment to slow or stop the damage.
The main non-surgical treatment for periodontitis is scaling and root planing — a careful, deep cleaning below the gumline that removes bacterial deposits from the root surfaces so the gum can reattach and heal. This is followed by structured maintenance visits, usually every three to four months, and by improved home care coached by the hygienist. Some cases are also referred to a periodontist for surgical care.
When periodontal treatment is the right choice
You may benefit from periodontal treatment when:
- Your gums bleed when you brush or floss, even after several weeks of careful home care.
- You have persistent bad breath or a bad taste that returns quickly after cleaning your teeth.
- Your gums have started to recede or your teeth look longer than they used to.
- You’ve been told by another office that you have deeper pockets around your teeth or bone loss on X-ray.
- You have loose teeth, or teeth that are shifting or catching food in new places.
An assessment starts with a comprehensive periodontal examination, including six-point pocket measurements around each tooth, mobility checks and X-rays where needed. If your case is mild, a regular adult cleaning with better home care may be enough. If it is more advanced, we plan a course of scaling and root planing followed by maintenance care.
What to expect from periodontal care
Comprehensive periodontal exam
The dentist and hygienist measure pockets around every tooth, check for mobility and bleeding, and review X-rays for bone loss so the diagnosis is clear.
Written plan
The dentist explains the findings in plain language and provides a written treatment plan, including how many scaling and root planing visits are needed and what home care changes will help.
Scaling and root planing
Over one or more visits (often two, split by quadrant), the hygienist carefully cleans below the gumline under local anaesthetic where needed, removing bacterial deposits from the root surfaces.
Home-care coaching
The hygienist demonstrates a brushing and interdental cleaning routine specific to your gum condition and shows you how to check for changes at home between visits.
Re-evaluation
Four to eight weeks after treatment the hygienist re-measures the pockets and bleeding, and the dentist reviews the response so any remaining active sites can be re-treated.
Maintenance recall
Structured maintenance visits — usually every three to four months — keep the gums stable long term and pick up any new problems early.
Where a case is more advanced or does not respond to non-surgical care, the dentist will refer you to a periodontist for surgical treatment. Referrals are coordinated so you continue routine care under one roof.
Long-term maintenance after treatment
Gum disease is a chronic condition. Even after a successful course of scaling and root planing, patients who have had periodontitis are always at higher risk of it returning. Structured maintenance visits every three to four months — with fresh pocket measurements, careful cleaning and home-care review — are the single most reliable way to keep the gums stable long term.
Home care matters just as much as the visits. The hygienist coaches an interdental cleaning routine — floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser — matched to how your gums are shaped after treatment, and reviews it at each maintenance visit. For patients with home-care challenges, our periodontal home-care trays page explains a custom-tray-based routine used in some cases as an adjunct.
Cost, insurance, and CDCP / IFHP coverage
The cost of periodontal treatment depends on how many quadrants are treated at each visit and how many maintenance visits are needed over the year. The dentist provides a written estimate before treatment begins, and the fees follow the Ontario Dental Association suggested fee guide.
Most Canadian dental insurance plans cover periodontal treatment under a periodontal or basic category, often with an annual maximum on scaling units. We direct-bill wherever your plan allows and submit predeterminations before treatment. Lambton Dental is also a provider for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP); coverage of periodontal services under these programs depends on eligibility.
Our payment options page explains billing openly and financing is available for larger plans through a third-party partner on approved credit.
For larger treatment plans, monthly payment plans through a third-party financing partner are available on approved credit — ask at your consultation or see our payment options.
Why patients choose Lambton Dental for gum care
- Full periodontal charting is done for every adult patient at their first visit, not just when there is already a problem.
- Scaling and root planing is scheduled with enough time to do it thoroughly under local anaesthetic where needed.
- Re-evaluation four to eight weeks after treatment ensures any remaining active sites are re-treated.
- We direct-bill CDCP, IFHP and major Canadian insurance carriers wherever your plan allows.
- Evening and weekend appointments make it easier to fit in longer periodontal visits around work.
- Our team serves patients in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Related services
Frequently asked questions about periodontal treatment
Is scaling and root planing painful?
Most patients find the visit comfortable, especially when local anaesthetic is used where needed. The hygienist works gently and stops if you need a break. Some tenderness in the gums for one or two days after treatment is normal and usually eases with over-the-counter pain relief. Rinsing with warm salt water for a few days after treatment also helps a great deal.
How is scaling and root planing different from a regular cleaning?
A regular cleaning removes deposits above and just below the gumline in patients whose gums are healthy. Scaling and root planing is a deeper, more careful cleaning of the root surfaces below the gumline in patients with periodontitis. It usually requires more time, sometimes local anaesthetic, and is spread over more than one visit for larger cases so the treatment stays comfortable throughout.
Will my gums grow back after treatment?
Gum tissue that has receded does not grow back on its own, but the inflammation subsides and the pockets around the teeth often shrink as the tissue heals and reattaches to the roots. This makes home care more effective and slows or stops further bone loss around the teeth. In advanced cases, a periodontist can offer surgical procedures that may improve gum coverage in select areas.
How often will I need maintenance visits after treatment?
Most patients who have had periodontitis benefit from a three- to four-month maintenance cycle rather than a six-month one, because the bacteria that cause gum disease repopulate more quickly in patients who have had it before. The exact interval is set case by case at your re-evaluation and adjusted over time based on how your gums are responding to care.
Do you refer to a periodontist?
Yes, when appropriate. For more advanced cases, cases that do not respond well to non-surgical treatment, or cases where a specific surgical procedure is planned, the dentist refers you to a periodontist. Routine maintenance care continues at Lambton Dental in coordination with the periodontist, so you have one office coordinating your overall dental care throughout.
Are there home-care products you recommend?
The hygienist coaches a personalised routine using floss, interdental brushes and, where useful, a water flosser and an antimicrobial mouthrinse. The specific products are recommended based on how your gums are shaped after treatment and how easily you can reach the spaces between teeth. Off-the-shelf choices without coaching often miss the areas that matter most in periodontal maintenance.
Does gum disease affect the rest of my health?
Research over the last two decades has linked periodontal disease with cardiovascular disease, diabetes control and pregnancy outcomes, among others. The relationships are complex and are not always causal, but treating gum disease and reducing chronic inflammation is generally a good step for overall health. The dentist discusses this at the exam in the context of your specific health history.
Book a periodontal assessment
Book online or call (416) 666-3700 to arrange a periodontal assessment. The dentist and hygienist will chart your gums fully and provide a written plan before any treatment begins.
CDCP welcome
We welcome patients covered under the Canadian Dental Care Plan and can help you understand what's covered.
Learn about CDCP →IFHP welcome
We are registered to treat patients under the Interim Federal Health Program and bill Medavie Blue Cross directly.
Learn about IFHP →Direct billing
We bill all major Canadian dental insurance carriers directly, so you pay only what your plan does not cover.
How direct billing works →