Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease) in Chicago, IL

It depends on the stage. Gingivitis, the earliest form of gum disease, is fully reversible. With a professional cleaning and a tighter daily brushing and flossing routine, inflamed gums can return to full health and the condition clears completely.

Once gum disease advances into periodontitis, the picture changes. The bone and tissue already lost do not grow back, so a true cure is no longer possible. What we can do is stop the disease in its tracks and keep it controlled for the long term through deep cleaning and regular maintenance.

This is exactly why we push so hard for early detection. The sooner gum disease is caught, the more likely we can reverse it rather than simply manage it.

The bacteria responsible for gum disease can move from one person to another through saliva, so sharing utensils or drinks, or kissing, can pass them along. In that narrow sense, the germs involved are transmissible.

Catching those bacteria is not the same as developing gum disease, though. Whether an infection actually takes hold depends on your immune system, how consistent your oral hygiene is, and personal risk factors such as smoking or diabetes. Plenty of people carry the bacteria without ever developing periodontal disease.

A deep cleaning, known clinically as scaling and root planing, reaches below the gum line where a routine cleaning stops. We remove the plaque and hardened tartar that have collected against the tooth roots, then smooth those root surfaces so the gums can knit back tightly against each tooth.

To keep you comfortable, the area is numbed with local anesthetic first, and the work is often split across more than one visit depending on how much buildup is present. This is the standard first-line treatment for gum disease, and it frequently spares patients from more involved surgery down the road.

You can read a fuller walkthrough on our Scaling & Root Planing page.

Once you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, the usual six-month schedule is no longer enough. Most patients move to periodontal maintenance visits every three to four months so bacteria never get the chance to regroup in the deeper pockets around your teeth.

These more frequent appointments let us clean below the gum line, re-measure your pockets, and track the health of the supporting bone over time. We treat gum disease patients at our Chicago and Bourbonnais, IL offices and will set an interval that fits the severity of your case and how your gums are responding.

Yes, and this is one of the most important things to understand about periodontal disease. The same bacteria that inflame your gums can enter the bloodstream, and researchers have connected active gum disease to a range of whole-body health problems, including:

• Heart disease and stroke
• Complications in managing diabetes
• Respiratory problems
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as premature birth

Treating gum disease, then, is about far more than saving teeth. Bringing the infection under control is also a step toward protecting your general health.

Smoking is one of the strongest risk factors we see for both developing gum disease and watching it worsen. Tobacco narrows the blood vessels that feed your gums, which weakens the local immune response and, frustratingly, can mask early warning signs like bleeding.

Smoking also drags down the results of treatment. Gums heal more slowly and less predictably after a deep cleaning or surgery when someone smokes. Giving up tobacco is one of the single most valuable things you can do for your gum health, and we are glad to support you through it.

A little bleeding in the first few days of starting or restarting a flossing habit can be normal as your gums adjust. Bleeding that keeps happening every time you brush or floss, however, is a textbook sign of gingivitis and should not be brushed aside.

Healthy gums simply do not bleed during normal cleaning. If yours do consistently, it is worth having them evaluated so we can catch gum disease at the stage where it is still fully reversible.

There is no single price, because the cost tracks the severity of the disease and the treatment it calls for. A non-surgical deep cleaning sits at the lower end, while surgical procedures for advanced periodontitis cost more. We always walk you through a written treatment plan with the numbers spelled out before any work begins.

We accept most dental insurance plans and offer financing options to keep care manageable, and our team at our Chicago and Bourbonnais, IL offices is happy to verify your benefits in advance so there are no surprises.

You can, though a family history means you may have to work a little harder at it. Genetics can leave you more susceptible to gum disease, but they do not seal your fate.

Consistent brushing and flossing, professional cleanings on the schedule we recommend, steering clear of tobacco, and keeping conditions like diabetes well managed all meaningfully lower your risk, even when periodontal disease is common in your family. Knowing you are predisposed is actually an advantage, because it lets us monitor you more closely from the start.