Dental hygiene
Professional cleaning and gum care to prevent decay and disease.
- NHS and private
- Same-day emergencies
- Published fees
- One team, three practices
Treating Gum Disease, Saving the Teeth Around It
Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the UK, ahead of decay.
Read more: Treating Gum Disease, Saving the Teeth Around It
The British Society of Periodontology estimates that around 45% of UK adults have some form of periodontitis, the majority of them undiagnosed. It is also the dental condition most commonly missed by patients, because it progresses slowly and painlessly through its early stages. Bleeding gums, receding gums, persistent bad breath, or loose teeth are all signs that the disease has been progressing for some time.
At Minti Dental Group we run a structured periodontal pathway across our practices, with hygienists leading routine and deep-cleaning work and dentists co-managing more complex cases.
How Gum Disease Progresses
Gum disease is an inflammatory condition driven by bacteria that accumulate in plaque around the gum line. The disease moves through identifiable stages, each more advanced than the last.
Read more: How Gum Disease Progresses
Gingivitis is the earliest stage and the only fully reversible one. Gums are inflamed (red, swollen, bleed when brushed) but the bone and deeper structures are intact. Reversed within weeks of improved home care and one professional cleaning.
Early periodontitis sees inflammation progress beyond the gum margin. Small bone loss begins. Pocketing (the gap between gum and tooth) deepens beyond the normal 1 to 3 mm. Treatment requires deep cleaning below the gum line.
Moderate periodontitis shows significant bone loss visible on X-rays. Pocket depths reach 5 to 7 mm. Some teeth start to feel slightly mobile. Treatment requires multiple deep-cleaning sessions and intensive maintenance.
Advanced periodontitis involves severe bone loss, deep pockets, tooth mobility, and often pus from the gum margin. Treatment may require surgical referral, and tooth loss is sometimes unavoidable for the worst-affected teeth.
Periodontal Care Across Minti Dental Group
Periodontal treatment is delivered by our hygiene team and dentists across our practices.
Read more: Periodontal Care Across Minti Dental Group
Routine and deep cleaning is hygienist-led; cases needing antibiotic adjuncts, surgical referral, or restorative work after periodontal stabilisation are co-managed with the dentist.
Every practice follows the same care pathway: examination and gum charting at the dental check, hygiene appointments every six months as standard (more often where periodontal status warrants), deep-cleaning sessions where indicated, and onward referral to a specialist periodontist for the small number of advanced cases requiring surgery.
How We Assess Gum Health
Every routine examination includes a gum check.
Read more: How We Assess Gum Health
The standard tool is a periodontal probe, a thin millimetre-marked instrument used to measure the gap between gum and tooth at six points around each tooth. Healthy pocket depths are 1 to 3 mm. Depths of 4 mm or more, especially with bleeding on probing, indicate active periodontal disease.
We use the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) score at routine examinations and a full periodontal chart for patients with established disease. X-rays show bone loss directly and complement the probing measurements. We typically take new X-rays every 18 to 24 months for periodontally active patients.
The Treatment Ladder
Treatment is matched to the stage of the disease.
Routine hygiene appointments
Six-monthly scale and polish for patients with healthy gums or stable mild gingivitis. Removes plaque and calculus above the gum line and reviews home care.
Deep cleaning (root surface debridement)
For early to moderate periodontitis with pocket depths of 4 to 7 mm. The hygienist works below the gum line under local anaesthetic. Most patients need two to four sessions over four to eight weeks, followed by reassessment at three months.
Antibiotic adjuncts
For some moderate cases we use locally-applied or systemic antibiotics alongside deep cleaning. The decision is made after deep cleaning has begun, not at the first visit.
Maintenance therapy
Patients who have completed active treatment move into a maintenance schedule, usually three or four monthly hygiene visits indefinitely. The disease is controlled, not cured.
Specialist referral
For advanced cases needing flap surgery or regenerative procedures, we refer to a specialist periodontist with full notes and X-rays.
Home Care That Actually Works
Home care matters more than any in-practice treatment.
Read more: Home Care That Actually Works
The bacteria responsible for gum disease replenish daily on every tooth surface. Patients who brush twice daily with a soft brush and clean interdentally daily reduce their disease activity by 60 to 80%.
The standard home routine for periodontally active patients includes a soft electric toothbrush, interdental brushes sized to the gaps between your teeth (the hygienist will size you correctly), and a fluoride toothpaste with the standard 1450 ppm fluoride. An antimicrobial mouthwash is useful short-term during active treatment.
Smoking is a major risk factor. Patients who continue to smoke during periodontal treatment respond worse than non-smokers. Stopping is the single largest improvement most smokers can make to their gum prognosis.
Gum Treatment for Harlow Patients
Minti Dental Group treats gum disease at both our Harlow practices, Nuffield Dental Practice and Church Langley Dental. We provide routine hygiene appointments and deep cleaning (root surface debridement). NHS periodontal care is delivered within Band 1 and Band 2.
Caught Early, Treated Simply
Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the UK, and it is usually painless until it is advanced.
Read more: Caught Early, Treated Simply
Bleeding when you brush is the earliest warning. Our hygiene team leads routine and deep cleaning, with the dentists co-managing more complex cases, and most gum problems are caught at the routine check-up and treated through hygiene visits before they become serious.
The Full Detail
For how gum disease progresses, how we assess it, the full treatment ladder, and home care that works, see our dental hygiene and gum treatment page. Enfield patients can see the hygiene team at Enfield Smiles.
Gum Treatment for Enfield Patients
Enfield Smiles is part of Minti Dental Group and treats gum disease for patients across Enfield.
Read more: Gum Treatment for Enfield Patients
We provide routine hygiene appointments and deep cleaning (root surface debridement). NHS periodontal care is delivered within Band 1 and Band 2.
Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the UK, and it is usually painless until it is advanced. Bleeding when you brush is the earliest warning. Our hygiene team leads routine and deep cleaning, with the dentists co-managing more complex cases. Most gum problems are caught at the routine check-up and treated through hygiene visits before they become serious, with same-week appointments usually available.
For how gum disease progresses, how we assess it, the full treatment ladder, and home care that works, see our dental hygiene and gum treatment page. Harlow patients can see the hygiene team in Harlow.
Practices Offering Dental hygiene
Nuffield Dental Practice
110–111 The StowHarlowEssex CM20 3AS01279 424 038Church Langley Dental
First Floor, Florence Nightingale Health CentreHarlowEssex CM17 9TE01279 306 690Enfield Smiles
195 High StreetEnfield EN3 4DZ020 8804 4320
Frequently Asked Questions
Book a Periodontal Assessment
If your gums bleed, your breath has changed, or you have any visible recession or mobility, book an examination. Most periodontal disease is caught at the routine examination and treated through hygiene appointments before it becomes advanced.
- Nuffield Dental Practice (Harlow): 01279 424 038
- Church Langley Dental (Harlow): 01279 306 690
- Enfield Smiles (Enfield): 020 8804 4320