Are bleeding gums normal?

No. Bleeding is the clearest early sign of gum inflammation, and healthy gums do not bleed when you brush or floss. The common reaction is to brush that area more gently, which makes it worse. Clean it properly and see a dentist if it has not settled within two weeks.

Can gum disease be cured?

Gingivitis, the early stage, is fully reversible — gums return to normal once the plaque and calculus are removed and kept off. Periodontitis, where bone has already been lost, cannot be reversed, but it can be stopped and kept stable for life. The bone does not grow back on its own, which is exactly why catching it early matters.

Is gum disease why my teeth feel loose?

Usually, yes. Gum disease destroys the bone that holds teeth in, painlessly, over years. Looseness is a late sign, not an early one. It is still worth being assessed — teeth that feel doomed can sometimes be stabilised, and knowing which ones cannot be saved changes the whole treatment plan.

Does gum treatment hurt?

Deep cleaning below the gum line is done with the area numbed, so the appointment itself should not hurt. Gums are usually tender for a day or two afterwards and teeth can be sensitive to cold for a couple of weeks as the inflammation settles and roots become exposed.

Does smoking really matter for gums?

More than almost anything else. Smoking and arguile restrict blood flow to the gums, which masks the bleeding that would have warned you, and they roughly double the rate of bone loss. Treatment works far less well in smokers and implants fail more often. We will treat you either way, and we will be honest about the odds.

Will I need a specialist?

Most gum disease is managed here with hygiene therapy, deep cleaning and a maintenance interval. Advanced cases needing surgery, grafting for severe recession, or regenerative procedures are referred to a periodontist — we will tell you clearly when you have reached that point rather than treating in circles.

Bleeding Gums & Gum Disease Treatment in Beirut

Two diseases with one name

	Gingivitis	Periodontitis
What it is	Inflammation of the gum only	Inflammation that has destroyed the bone holding the tooth
Signs	Red, puffy gums that bleed when brushed; bad breath	The same, plus receding gums, gaps opening between teeth, teeth drifting or loosening, occasional gum abscesses
Pain	Usually none	Usually none until very late. This is the problem
Reversible?	Yes, completely, with cleaning and good home care	No. Lost bone does not return. It can be stopped and held stable for decades
Treatment	A hygiene visit and technique coaching	Deep cleaning under anaesthetic, a strict maintenance interval, sometimes referral

The only way to know which you have is measurement, not appearance. We check the depth of the space between gum and tooth at several points per tooth and compare it against an X-ray of the bone level. Gums can look reasonable over significant bone loss, particularly in smokers.

What treatment involves

Assessment. Gum measurements around every tooth, X-rays to see the bone, and photographs. You see the numbers; they are the baseline we measure improvement against later.
Cause first. Plaque is the cause, but calculus, overhanging old fillings, badly fitting crowns, grinding, smoking and uncontrolled diabetes all make it faster. Treating the bacteria while ignoring the cause is why treatment fails.
Deep cleaning (root surface debridement). Calculus is removed from the root surfaces below the gum line, with the area numbed. Usually two appointments, one per side, so you are never numb on both sides at once.
Home care coaching. Blunt but necessary: treatment is maybe 30 per cent of the result. Interdental brushes sized to your own gaps do more than any mouthwash.
Review at six to eight weeks. We re-measure. Pockets that have shrunk go onto maintenance; pockets that have not are either a home-care problem or a referral, and we say which.
Maintenance every three to four months, for life. This is not an upsell, it is the treatment. Stopping maintenance is the single most common reason people lose the teeth we just saved.

Why it matters beyond your mouth

Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory infection, and the evidence links it with poorer blood sugar control in diabetes, and associates it with cardiovascular disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The diabetes relationship runs both ways: high blood sugar worsens gum disease, and treating gum disease helps blood sugar control. If you are diabetic or pregnant, tell us, because it changes the interval we recommend.

Recession, sensitivity and the "long teeth" look

As gums recede, roots become exposed. Roots have no enamel, so they are sensitive to cold and decay far more easily than crowns of teeth. Recession has several causes: gum disease, but also aggressive brushing with a hard brush, grinding, and thin gum tissue you were born with. We identify which, because the treatment differs completely. Mild cases are managed with technique, desensitising agents and monitoring. Significant recession affecting appearance or root health is referred for grafting.

The opposite complaint, gums covering too much tooth, is a gummy smile and is a different conversation entirely.

Gums and implants

An implant cannot get a cavity, but it can absolutely get gum disease. Peri-implantitis destroys the bone around an implant the same way periodontitis does around a tooth, and it is the main reason implants fail years after placement. Anyone who lost teeth to gum disease and is now considering implants must have the gum disease stabilised first and commit to three or four monthly maintenance. A clinic that places implants without asking about that is selling you a second failure.

What we treat here, and what we refer

Managed at this clinic: gingivitis, early and moderate periodontitis, deep cleaning, maintenance programmes, and the fillings or crown replacements that remove plaque traps. Referred to a periodontist: advanced disease needing surgical access, regenerative procedures, gum grafting for severe recession, and complex peri-implantitis. You will be told at the review appointment, with the measurements in front of you, and given the reason.

What gum treatment costs in Lebanon

Deep cleaning for gum disease starts at $50 per session. How many sessions you need depends on how far the disease has gone and how many quadrants of the mouth are involved — early gingivitis is often one visit, established periodontitis is not. You are told the number of sessions and the total after the examination, before anything begins.

The examination itself is $20, and it is deducted from the cost of treatment if you go ahead — so if you are treated here, the examination has cost you nothing.

Bleeding gums are never normal.