Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
Periodontal treatment in Pompano Beach starts with a number, not an opinion. Gum disease is diagnosed by measuring the space between gum and tooth at six points around every tooth you have, and everything that follows is decided by those readings.
Quick answer
Periodontal treatment covers the diagnosis and management of gum disease, from gingivitis through to advanced periodontitis. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS charts pocket depths at six points per tooth and reads them against your X-rays, then treats according to stage: professional cleaning and home care for gingivitis, scaling and root planing for pockets of 4 mm or more, and laser therapy for sites that stay deep. Gingivitis is reversible. Periodontitis is managed rather than cured, so how early it is found decides how much you keep.
Gum Health
Why gum disease is so easy to miss
It rarely hurts. That single fact explains most of what makes periodontal disease difficult: by the time something aches or a tooth feels loose, the damage that caused it happened years earlier and is not reversible.
What it does instead is bleed, and bleeding is easy to normalise. Most patients who turn out to have moderate periodontitis will tell you their gums have bled for years and they assumed that was just how their mouth was.
The practical answer is measurement on a schedule rather than waiting for symptoms. Twenty minutes with a probe gives a number for every tooth, and numbers are the only thing that shows the disease while it is still cheap to treat.
The stages, and what each one means
| Reading | Stage | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 mm, no bleeding | Healthy | Routine cleaning and recall |
| 1–3 mm with bleeding | Gingivitis | Inflammation without bone loss — reversible |
| 4–5 mm with bleeding | Early to moderate periodontitis | Attachment and bone loss has started |
| 6 mm or deeper | Moderate to advanced periodontitis | Significant bone loss; teeth may be at risk |
The dividing line between the first two rows and the last two is bone. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum alone and comes back to health. Once the supporting bone starts to go, the aim changes from cure to control.
Our periodontal care in Pompano Beach
Three stages, in order. Each one is decided by the readings from the one before it.
- Gum disease diagnosis. A periodontal exam with six-point charting, bleeding points, recession and mobility, read against digital X-rays. About twenty minutes, and it is what every treatment decision is based on.
- Scaling and root planing. The standard first treatment for periodontitis: removing hardened deposits from the root surfaces below the gumline and smoothing the roots so the gum can reattach. Usually one or two visits with the area numbed.
- Laser gum treatment. Used for sites that remain deep and keep bleeding at the recheck, addressing the diseased tissue lining the pocket. Done in house with a soft tissue laser.
- Periodontal maintenance. Once pockets are stable, recall moves from six months to every three or four, with the same six readings retaken each time so progress is visible rather than assumed.
Where gum disease connects to the rest of your health
Periodontal disease has been associated in research with cardiovascular disease, poorer blood sugar control in people with diabetes, and complications in pregnancy. Association is not the same as cause, and no dental treatment should be sold as a treatment for a medical condition. What is clear is that chronic inflammation in the mouth is not sealed off from the rest of the body. The American Dental Association keeps a plain-language overview for patients.
We have written in more detail about gum disease and heart health, the diabetes connection, and what chronic bad breath can indicate.
When teeth cannot be saved
Sometimes the honest answer is that a tooth has lost too much support. When that is the case we say so early and talk through replacement rather than spending another two years treating something that will not hold. That usually means dental implants, and it may mean bone grafting first, because periodontal disease takes the same bone an implant needs.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa
Dr. Nicole M. Berger has practiced in Pompano Beach for more than twenty years and does her own periodontal charting, so the person recommending treatment is the person who took the measurements and can show you why.
- Digital X-rays and intraoral imaging on site, so diagnosis happens in one visit
- Soft tissue lasers in house for sites that do not respond to deep cleaning
- IV and oral sedation available for patients who have avoided treatment out of fear
- A written plan with your own numbers on it, not a verbal recommendation
- English and Spanish spoken
- One location on E McNab Rd, serving Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek
New here? See what to expect on your first visit, or meet the team.
If your gums bleed when you brush
That is a finding, not a habit. A periodontal exam takes about twenty minutes and ends with a number for every tooth you have.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the signs of gum disease?
Bleeding when you brush or floss, persistent bad breath or a bad taste, gums that look red, swollen or shiny, gums pulling back so teeth look longer, sensitivity at the gumline, food packing into the same spot, and in later stages teeth that feel loose or a bite that has changed. Bleeding is the one most often dismissed, and healthy gum does not bleed under a toothbrush.
What causes gum disease?
Bacterial plaque that is not removed hardens into tartar below the gumline, and the body’s inflammatory response to it destroys the attachment and then the bone. Plaque starts it; how strongly you react to it decides how fast it progresses, which is why two people with similar brushing habits can have very different outcomes.
Who is most at risk?
Smokers, people with diabetes or a family history of periodontal disease, people on medications that cause dry mouth or gum overgrowth, those under sustained stress, and anyone who has gone years between cleanings. Hormonal changes in pregnancy and menopause also raise susceptibility.
How is gum disease diagnosed?
By measurement rather than appearance. A periodontal probe records the pocket depth at six points around every tooth, along with bleeding, recession and mobility, and those readings are compared against X-rays showing the bone level. Pockets of 1 to 3 mm that do not bleed are healthy; 4 mm or more, or bone loss on the X-ray, indicates disease.
How is it treated?
It depends on the stage. Gingivitis responds to a thorough cleaning and better home care. Early to moderate periodontitis is treated with scaling and root planing. Sites that stay deep afterwards may be treated with a laser. Advanced cases with significant bone loss may need surgical care or, where teeth cannot be held, a plan for replacing them.
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis is reversible. Periodontitis is managed rather than cured: the disease can be stabilised, the pockets reduced and further loss halted, but bone that has already gone does not come back on its own. That is why the timing of diagnosis matters as much as the diagnosis itself.
What are the consequences of leaving it untreated?
It is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and it does not stall on its own. Pockets deepen, bone is lost, teeth loosen and eventually are lost. Research has also associated periodontal disease with cardiovascular disease, poorer blood sugar control in diabetes and complications in pregnancy, though association is not the same as cause.
How often should my gums be measured?
A full periodontal charting at least once a year and at every new patient visit. If you have been treated for periodontitis, or you smoke or have diabetes, readings are usually rechecked at each three or four month maintenance visit.
Does periodontal treatment hurt?
The exam should not. Deep cleaning is done with the area numbed, so you feel pressure rather than pain, and soreness afterwards usually lasts a day or two. Sedation is available in house if anxiety is what has kept you away.
Will my insurance cover periodontal treatment?
Most dental plans cover diagnostic visits and contribute to periodontal treatment when the charting supports the diagnosis, which is one more reason the readings matter. Coverage and frequency limits vary. Our front desk checks your benefits and gives you the figures in writing before treatment is scheduled.