Gum Disease Treatment, Lanark: Bleeding Gums, Treated and Kept Stable

Q: What does gum disease treatment cost in Lanark?

Treatment for periodontitis at our Lanark practice costs £100 per stage, and there are four stages. If the problem is milder, a hygiene appointment (£70) or a 60-minute deep clean (£130) may be all you need. On a dental plan, each stage is £90 and routine hygiene visits are part of the plan. Before recommending anything, we chart your gum pockets and take X-rays, so you know what's needed before treatment begins; see our gum disease treatment page.

Q: Is deep cleaning of the gums painful?

It shouldn't be painful, because we numb the gums with local anaesthetic first; you'll notice scraping and pressure instead. Expect some tenderness for a couple of days. As the swelling goes down and the gums firm up, the roots can react to cold for several weeks, and a sensitive toothpaste makes that easier. Ordinary hygiene appointments seldom call for an injection, and Airflow is a softer option than the traditional scaler.

Q: What makes my gums bleed when I brush?

Bleeding is most often caused by gingivitis, where plaque left along the gum line makes the gum inflamed. It may seem odd, but the answer is to carry on brushing gently and to clean between your teeth daily, rather than avoiding the areas that bleed. If things haven't improved after two weeks or so of more thorough cleaning, book a hygiene appointment, as tartar that has hardened can't be removed at home. If the bleeding comes with loose teeth, receding gums or an unpleasant taste, get it looked at sooner.

Q: After gum treatment, how often will I need a hygienist?

For at least the first year, we'd expect to see you every three months. This isn't a sales tactic. The bacteria that drive periodontitis recolonise the gum pockets in roughly three months, so cleaning at that interval disrupts them before they can do harm. If your gums stay stable, the interval may be lengthened later. Plan B includes four hygiene visits a year, which fits this pattern.

Q: Is a history of gum disease a barrier to implants?

No, as long as the gum disease has been treated and is stable first. Implants put into a mouth with active gum disease have a higher chance of infection around them and of failing. Once your gums are in good shape, three-monthly hygiene visits look after your natural teeth and your implants alike. This is one of the reasons our 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months is linked to regular hygiene appointments.

Q: Can unhealthy gums give me bad breath?

Yes, and it's one of the commonest reasons breath stays stale no matter how often you brush, particularly if your gums bleed too or you have a bad taste. Bacteria in the pockets around diseased gums release sulphur compounds with a strong smell, and mouthwash only covers this up briefly. Getting the gums treated generally clears it, along with cleaning between your teeth and brushing your tongue. Other causes are covered in our bad breath guide.

At Lanark Smile Studios, gum disease is treated by our dental hygienist, Fiona Dyer. She records the depth of every pocket, cleans beneath the gum line over planned stages costing £100 each, and then supports you in keeping things stable. Found early, a single deep clean (£130) is often all it takes.Fiona Dyer, our hygienist, assesses your gums and treats gum disease in stages at £100 each.

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Treatment is normally split into four stages. Both of our dental plans include hygiene visits, and members get 10% off the deep clean and every stage of gum treatment. ¹

Your hygienistFiona Dyer Dip Dental Hygiene RCSEdDental hygienist at Lanark Smile Studios: hygiene visits, gum health and the practical advice that keeps teeth and gums healthy. GDC 6167.Meet Fiona ›

Signs Your Gums Need Attention

It rarely causes pain until it's advanced, so it's easy to overlook. Watch out for these.

Bleeding When You Brush

Gums in good health don't bleed. Blood in the sink means inflammation, and going easier with the brush won't cure it.

Persistent Bad Taste or Breath

It comes from bacteria beneath the gum. Mouthwash only masks it for a short while.

Receding Gums

Your teeth seem longer than before, and the newly exposed root surface near the gum may be sensitive.

Swollen, Red Gum Margins

The edge of the gum looks puffy, glossy or darker than usual, and often feels sore when you floss.

Teeth Shifting or Loosening

Front teeth spreading apart, a gap appearing, or a tooth that gives a little when you bite down.

Wider Health Links

Studies connect gum disease with diabetes and heart disease. Gum inflammation also makes blood sugar harder to control and implants harder to look after.

One Disease, Two Stages

Both start with plaque left along the gum line. The difference is how far down it has spread.

Gingivitis affects only the gum. The bone is still intact, so a professional clean and better cleaning between the teeth reverse it fully

Periodontitis is when bone supporting the roots begins to break down, creating pockets too deep for a brush. That bone doesn't come back, but the disease can be halted

Risk is higher if you smoke, have diabetes or live with ongoing stress, and some medications cause gum swelling

We measure six points around every tooth, which shows the stage you've reached and how quickly it's progressing

Guide: periodontitis and how it's staged and graded

How We Treat It

Assessment

Fiona records the gum around each tooth, and X-rays reveal the remaining bone support. You leave knowing exactly where you stand, with the fee in writing.

Cleaning and Home Advice

Airflow clears stain and soft plaque, then scaling takes off the tartar. She'll also find the right interdental brush sizes for you and show you, in your own mouth, which areas you miss.

Deep Cleaning in Stages

For periodontitis, the root surfaces are cleaned right down inside each pocket with local anaesthetic, a quarter of the mouth at a time, typically over four appointments.

Review and Maintenance

Roughly three months on, we measure the pockets once more. After that, a hygiene visit every three months keeps the disease from returning.

Why Treating It Matters

In adults, more teeth are lost to gum disease than to decay, even though most cases are preventable. Treat gingivitis and it goes away. Treat periodontitis and the lost bone stays lost, but the damage stops, and the teeth can often last a lifetime.

Healthy gums are also the foundation for other treatment. Implants placed among inflamed gums fail far more often, a bridge depends on sound supporting teeth, and aligners shouldn't shift teeth while gum disease is active. That's why, here in Lanark, we get your gums healthy before any implant or cosmetic work begins.

Both dental plans include hygiene visits: Plan A is £24.10 a month and Plan B £40.16. With four visits a year, Plan B fits neatly with three-monthly maintenance.

What You Can Do

Use interdental brushes daily, in the sizes we choose for you. Nothing you do at home matters more for your gums

Brush morning and night with the bristles tilted towards the gum; an electric brush helps

Don't stop because of bleeding. Keep cleaning gently, and it usually settles within two weeks as plaque clears

Smoking masks the bleeding and slows recovery; quitting helps more than anything except cleaning

If you have diabetes, good sugar control helps the gums heal, and healthier gums make control easier

Stick with visits every three months, because the gaps between are when it tends to come back

What It Costs

After your first assessment you'll get the fee in writing. Members of our dental plans have 10% taken off the deep clean and each gum stage. Last reviewed October 2026. ¹

Gum treatment per stage, normally four in all	£100
60-minute deep clean	£130
Half-hour hygiene appointment plus Airflow	£100
Half-hour hygiene appointment	£70
Examination by one of our dentists	£70
Monthly plan covering hygiene visits	from £24.10

Every fee we charge

Often Asked

Reversal, discomfort, price and implants.

Is gum disease reversible?–

In its early form, yes: gingivitis resolves fully with a professional clean and good care at home. The advanced form, periodontitis, can't be cured. Bone that's been lost around the teeth won't regrow, so once the gums settle after treatment, teeth may look longer or small gaps may open up. We can stop it progressing with deep cleaning beneath the gum, then hold it steady long term with maintenance visits every three months, so your teeth stay where they are. Smoking and diabetes both make the condition harder to control, so if either applies we'll monitor you more closely.

What does gum disease treatment cost in Lanark?+

Is deep cleaning of the gums painful?+

What makes my gums bleed when I brush?+

After gum treatment, how often will I need a hygienist?+

Is a history of gum disease a barrier to implants?+

Can unhealthy gums give me bad breath?+

Guides

Looking After Your Gums

All hygiene guides

Hygiene · 6 minute read

Bad breath: tracking down the source and fixing it

Book a Gum Assessment

A single visit shows whether you have gingivitis or periodontitis, how many stages of treatment you'd need and the cost, all before anything starts.

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