Care for gum disease, step by step
Gum Treatment in Turkey
Gum treatment aims to stop gum disease, from bleeding gums to the deeper damage that can loosen teeth. It follows clear steps, from better cleaning at home to deep cleaning and sometimes surgery. However, gum disease needs care for life, so regular check-ups near home matter as much as the first round of treatment.
At a glance
- Cause
- A build-up of plaque on the teeth
- Early stage
- Gingivitis, which you can reverse
- Later stage
- Periodontitis, which you can control but not reverse
- Guideline
- European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) S3 guideline, 4 steps
- Deep cleaning results
- About 74% of pockets closed in one review
- Care after treatment
- Check-ups every 3 to 12 months
These figures come from research reviews rather than from any one clinic. Your dentist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How gum treatment works
Gum disease starts when plaque builds up along the gumline. At first, your gums may look red and swollen and bleed when you brush. Later, you may notice bad breath, shrinking gums or loose teeth.
Dentists now describe periodontitis by stage and grade. The stage (I to IV) shows how much support the teeth have lost and how complex care will be. Meanwhile, the grade (A to C) shows how fast the disease seems to move. Smoking and diabetes can raise the grade.
For this reason, gum treatment follows a stepwise plan from a European guideline. First, you and your dentist control plaque and risk factors. Next comes deep cleaning below the gum. Then, if deep pockets remain, surgery may help. Finally, regular care keeps the gums stable.
- 1
Gingivitis: the early stage
Only the gums are inflamed, and the bone is still intact. So good daily cleaning and a professional clean can reverse it.
- 2
Periodontitis: damage below the gum
Here, the disease destroys the bone and fibres that hold teeth in place. As a result, gaps called pockets form. You cannot reverse it, although you can usually control it.
- 3
Why gum treatment never really ends
Even when treated gums look healthy, the disease can return. Therefore, experts advise close monitoring for life.
Who needs gum treatment
Only an examination with gum measurements can show how far gum disease has gone. So treat these signs as a reason to see a dentist rather than as a diagnosis.
Gum treatment may help if
Gum treatment alone may not be enough if
Gum treatment options compared
These three treatments match the first three steps of the European guideline. Most people start with the first two, and fewer need surgery.
Your gum treatment journey
Periodontitis care takes months, not days. Each step needs a check before the next one. Then your dentist will confirm what can happen in Istanbul and what suits a dentist near home.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos, recent X-rays and any gum charts. Then a dentist explains what the signs suggest and which steps may help.
- 2Step 1
Cleaning habits and risk factors
Next, your dental team shows you how to clean between your teeth and removes plaque and tartar above the gum. They also talk about smoking and diabetes.
- 3Step 2
Deep cleaning below the gum
After that, your dentist cleans the root surfaces inside the pockets. They can do this over several visits or within 24 hours, depending on your health.
- 4Re-check
Re-evaluation after healing
Once your gums have healed, your dentist measures the pockets again. If they have closed, you move to regular care.
- 5Step 3
Surgery for pockets that remain
If deep pockets remain, your dentist may repeat the cleaning or suggest surgery. Surgery needs your separate consent and a health check.
- 6At home
Step 4: gum treatment for life
Finally, you see a dentist or hygienist every 3 to 12 months, ideally close to home. This keeps the gums stable over the years.
After gum treatment: care for life
Daily cleaning
Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth every day with interdental brushes or floss. Also, ask your hygienist to check your technique at each visit.
Regular care visits
Experts advise care visits every 3 to 12 months, based on your risk. People who miss visits tend to lose more teeth, so a dentist near home helps.
Stopping smoking
Smoking raised the risk of gum disease by 85% in one review. For this reason, the guideline advises support to quit as part of care.
Diabetes and your gums
Diabetes and gum disease affect each other. In a Cochrane review, deep cleaning lowered HbA1c by 0.43% after 3 to 4 months. So tell your dentist and your GP about both.
Risks and limits of gum treatment
Deep cleaning works well for most people. In one review, pockets became 1.4 mm shallower on average, and about 74% closed within 6 to 8 months. Adverse events were rare when studies reported them.
Even so, gum treatment controls periodontitis rather than curing it. The disease can come back, especially if plaque builds up again or visits stop. That is why healthy gums come first, before implants, veneers or crowns.
Some pockets stay deep after cleaning. In that case, your dentist may repeat the cleaning or suggest surgery. Also, they will check risk factors such as smoking.
Surgery that reshapes the gum and bone can make the gums shrink back further. Therefore, the guideline asks dentists to weigh this before resective surgery.
Deep cleaning of the whole mouth within 24 hours can cause a short, body-wide inflammatory reaction. So your dentist checks your general health first.
Treated gum disease can return at any time. However, regular care visits and good daily cleaning lower that risk.
A history of gum disease, poor cleaning and no regular care all raise the risk of peri-implantitis. This is inflammation and bone loss around an implant.
Without treatment, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss. Also, some teeth may already be too loose to save when you first seek help.
What your gum treatment plan should answer
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before you book.
- 1Do I have gingivitis or periodontitis, and what stage and grade?
- 2Which pockets are deep, and can you give me my gum chart?
- 3Will deep cleaning happen over several visits or within 24 hours?
- 4When will you re-check my gums, and who will do it?
- 5Might I need gum surgery later, and what are the risks?
- 6How often should I have care visits, and can my home dentist do them?
- 7Should my gums be stable before implants, veneers or crowns?
Gum treatment: your questions
You can reverse gingivitis with good daily cleaning and help from your dental team. Periodontitis is different: you cannot reverse it, but the right care can usually control it.
Deep cleaning removes plaque and tartar from the root surfaces below the gumline. Dentists call it subgingival instrumentation. Hand and ultrasonic tools gave similar results in studies.
It varies. Deep cleaning can take several visits or happen within 24 hours. Afterwards, you need a re-check once the gums heal, then care visits every 3 to 12 months.
Often you can start it. However, the re-check and lifelong care work best with a dentist near home. So we suggest you plan follow-up before you travel.
Usually, yes. Gum disease raises the risk of problems around implants. In addition, healthy gums are important before and after veneers.
Yes. One review found that smoking raised the risk of periodontitis by 85%. For this reason, stopping smoking is part of the plan.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- Sanz M et al. Treatment of stage I-III periodontitis: the EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline (2020)
- Herrera D et al. Treatment of stage IV periodontitis: the EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline (2022)
- West N et al. BSP implementation of European S3-level evidence-based treatment guidelines for stage I-III periodontitis in UK clinical practice (2021)
- Papapanou PN et al. Periodontitis: consensus report of workgroup 2 of the 2017 World Workshop (2018)
- Chapple ILC et al. Periodontal health and gingival diseases and conditions: consensus report of workgroup 1 of the 2017 World Workshop (2018)
- Tonetti MS et al. Staging and grading of periodontitis: framework and proposal of a new classification and case definition (2018)
- Suvan J et al. Subgingival instrumentation for treatment of periodontitis: a systematic review (2020)
- Leite FRM et al. Effect of smoking on periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-regression (2018)
- Simpson TC et al. Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus. Cochrane review (2022)
- Sanz M et al. Scientific evidence on the links between periodontal diseases and diabetes: IDF and EFP consensus report (2018)
- Schwarz F et al. Peri-implantitis (2018)
- NHS. Gum disease (reviewed 2026)
- Oral Health Foundation. Gum disease (updated 2026)
- Oral Health Foundation. Veneers (updated 2026)
Is gum treatment
right for you?
Send a few clear photos, any recent X-rays and any gum charts. A dentist will then review them and explain which steps of gum treatment may help, and what follow-up suits a dentist near home. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.