Your Student Life: Gum Therapy

May 12, 2026

What is gum therapy?

Have you ever seen your dental hygienist for a cleaning only to be told that you need to return for gum therapy? What exactly is gum therapy? Why is it needed? How is it different from a “regular cleaning?” Let's find out!

Let's begin by talking about the way your teeth are connected to your mouth. Your teeth are attached to your mouth by little ligaments called the periodontal ligament which extend from your jawbone to the root of your tooth (yes, your teeth have roots!). The tissue that covers your jawbone and wraps around your tooth is called gingiva, or gum for short. The part of the tooth that you see in your mouth is known as the crown. Your jaw only comes up to the root of your tooth, but your gums actually extend higher than your bone to wrap around the crown of your tooth, and to fill the space between your teeth. Because the gums extend higher than your bone, there is a space between your gum and your tooth, called the sulcus. Another way to describe the area is that this space is where popcorn kernels tend to get stuck!

Your mouth has a lot of bacteria! There are over 500 species of bacteria in your mouth, and they are everywhere, including your teeth, tongue, gums, cheeks, and roof of your mouth. The cells of most surfaces like your cheeks and roof of your mouth shed (like your skin exfoliates), so the bacteria typically is one layer thick and unnoticeable. Teeth, on the other hand, are made up of a dense mineral which does not shed, meaning that bacteria can easily stick to the tooth surface above and below the gumline and eventually stack up in multiple layers. As bacteria grows, and the layers increase, it can be visible on your teeth as a thick, sticky yellow substance called plaque.

Plaque, for the most part, can be removed with your toothbrush and floss. If plaque is not removed, the minerals in your saliva will begin to calcify the bacteria into a very dense substance called tartar (also called calculus). Tartar can form both above and below the gumline just like plaque. Once tartar forms, you cannot remove it with your toothbrush. It can only be removed by your dental hygienist.

If plaque is not removed, and tartar forms, it creates the ideal environment for harmful strains of bacteria to thrive, multiply, and release toxins. Over time, the harmful bacteria will cause your body's immune system to react. Your gums will begin to fill with blood in order to get more immune cells to the area to fight the harmful bacteria. As your gums fill with blood, they begin to swell, and the fibers that keep the gums wrapped around the tooth will begin to detach, causing the sulcus to become larger, and making it easier for food debris to collect, and bacteria to thrive. Unfortunately, your body's immune system may not be able to fully destroy the harmful bacteria, and a chronic infection known as gingivitis occurs. When you have gingivitis, you typically will notice red, puffy, bleeding or sore gums.

If you have a lot of tartar buildup, or are showing signs of a severe gingivitis infection, your hygienist will need a longer appointment with you in order to remove the tartar and disrupt as much bacteria as possible to allow the gum to heal. This type of gum therapy is known as a gingivitis cleaning, or a debridement in cases of extreme tartar build up.

Over time, if gingivitis is not resolved, the infection will begin to spread from the gums into your jawbone. The jawbone will begin to dissolve, and the teeth will become loose and eventually fall out. Once the infection spreads into your jawbone, it is known as gum disease or periodontitis. Gum disease is typically (but not always) a slow process that occurs over many years and may not be noticeable until the final stages, when the teeth become loose. That's why your dental hygienist is always checking for signs of infection.

Once you develop gum disease, it is impossible to manage without the help of your dental hygienist. When bone dissolves, the sulcus becomes deeper (also known as a pocket) making it very difficult to clean with your toothbrush and floss. Your dental hygienist will perform a gum therapy procedure called scaling and root planing, that uses specialized tools to reach into the deep areas of the sulcus to remove tartar and bacteria. In order to ensure effective bacteria and tartar removal, along with comfort, this procedure is performed in multiple appointments under local anesthesia.

How can you prevent gingivitis and gum disease? The best thing you can do is remove bacteria and plaque from your teeth and gums every day. Brush at least twice a day for two minutes a day with a quality electric toothbrush and clean between your teeth and under your gums with string floss or a water flosser. Visit your dentist and dental hygienist for an exam and cleanings at least twice a year. Make sure your hygienist is examining your gums with a round ruler (also called a probe). Have X rays taken at least once a year in order to check for bone loss and cavities. If you have any questions, feel free to give Student Health Services Dental Clinic a call; we are happy to help!

Lisa Williams, RDH, BS

Student Health Services
Office of Student Life