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Gum Disease Treatment in Singapore
Gingivitis is reversible. Periodontitis is not, and the bone already lost does not come back, so treatment aims to stop the loss and hold it there. The 2019 National Adult Oral Health Survey found 77.6 per cent of Singaporean adults had some form of gum disease. Most of them did not know, because it does not hurt until it is advanced.
Medically reviewed by the NoFrills Dental Medical Team. Last updated 4 August 2026.
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Some form of periodontal disease, 2019 national survey.
Before GST. The first line of treatment for gingivitis.
The fee depends on how many sites and visits are involved.
Gingivitis or periodontitis: which do you have?
Gum disease is one process at two stages, and the distinction decides everything about the treatment.
| Gingivitis | Periodontitis |
|---|---|
| Inflammation of the gum only | Inflammation that has reached the bone and the attachment holding the tooth |
| Gums bleed, look red and puffy | Pockets form, gums recede, teeth may loosen or drift |
| Reversible | Not reversible. It can be stopped and held stable |
| Treated with a professional clean and better daily cleaning | Treated with deep cleaning below the gumline, sometimes surgery, then lifelong maintenance |
The same plaque drives tooth decay, which is why the two are so often found together. Plaque is the soft bacterial film that re-forms on teeth within hours. Left in place it hardens into tartar, which grips the tooth above and below the gumline and cannot be brushed off. The body responds with inflammation, and in periodontitis that inflammation destroys the bone around the tooth.
Do I have gum disease?
- Blood in the sink when you brush or floss, or a pink tinge on the brush head
- Gums that look red and swollen rather than firm and pale pink
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste that returns quickly after brushing
- Teeth that look longer, or sensitivity where the root is now exposed
- Food packing into a space that never used to trap it
- Teeth that feel loose, have drifted, or bite differently than they used to
- Pus at the gum margin, or a swelling that comes and goes
Any one of these is worth an assessment. Loose teeth and drifting are late signs, and by then the treatment is about holding ground rather than reversing damage.
Watch: understanding gum disease, with Dr Li KexinDr Li Kexin on what gum disease is and how it is detected, from the NoFrills Dental channel.
How gum disease is diagnosed
Looking at the gums is not enough, because the damage is under them. A gum assessment measures the depth of the crevice around each tooth with a graduated probe, records where it bleeds, and notes recession and mobility. Shallow, non-bleeding readings mean health. Deeper readings that bleed mean pockets, and pockets mean the attachment has been lost.
X-rays complete the picture by showing the bone level between the teeth, which is what tells your dentist whether this is gingivitis sitting on top of healthy bone or periodontitis that has already taken some away. That assessment is part of a routine check-up and takes only a few minutes.
How gum disease is treated
- Professional cleaning. For gingivitis this is often the whole treatment. A scale and polish removes the plaque and tartar the toothbrush cannot, and the inflammation settles within a week or two.
- Deep cleaning below the gumline. Also called root planing or subgingival debridement. Done with local anaesthetic, usually over more than one visit, working quadrant by quadrant to clean the root surfaces inside the pockets.
- Medication where it is indicated. An antimicrobial rinse, a local antibiotic placed into a pocket, or a course of systemic antibiotics for an acute infection. Prescribed case by case, alongside cleaning rather than instead of it.
- Surgery for advanced cases. Where pockets stay deep after thorough cleaning, flap surgery allows direct access to clean and reshape, and in selected sites bone or tissue grafting is possible.
- Maintenance, which is the part that decides the outcome. Three to four monthly cleans and consistent daily cleaning. Gum disease that is treated and then left unmonitored comes back.
Teeth lost to advanced disease can be replaced once the gums are stable, with dentures, a bridge or implants. Stability first: implants placed into untreated periodontal disease are at high risk.
Can antibiotics or mouthwash cure gum disease?
No, and this is worth being direct about because it is one of the most common questions we see. The bacteria live in a film that is physically attached to the tooth and root. Antibiotics circulating in the blood and antiseptics rinsed around the mouth reduce the bacterial load for a while, but they do not remove the deposit, and it re-colonises quickly.
Chlorhexidine mouthwash is useful for short periods, such as after treatment or when brushing is difficult, and it stains teeth with prolonged use. Antibiotics have a place in acute infection and in rapidly progressing disease. Both are decisions for the dentist who has seen your pockets and your x-rays, which is why this page does not give doses or product recommendations.
What gum treatment costs
| Treatment | Fee |
|---|---|
| Consultation and gum assessment | $50 |
| Scaling and polishing | $80 to $120 |
| Deep cleaning, or root planing | Quoted after assessment |
NoFrills Dental fees, before GST, which has been 9 per cent since 1 January 2024. Deep cleaning is quoted rather than listed because the fee depends on how many sites are involved and how many visits it takes; you are told the figure before treatment starts. CHAS cardholders receive up to $30 off scaling on a Blue card, twice a calendar year, and the rates for every card are in our 2026 CHAS guide. MediSave does not cover routine gum treatment, since it applies to surgical procedures.
What makes gum disease worse
Plaque starts it, but several things decide how fast it progresses. Smoking is the strongest modifiable factor, and it also masks the disease by reducing the bleeding that would otherwise warn you. Poorly controlled diabetes and gum disease worsen each other in both directions. Add pregnancy and hormonal change, some medications, a dry mouth, and cleaning that misses the same places every day, usually between the teeth where a brush cannot reach.
The connection with the rest of the body is real enough to take seriously and often overstated in marketing. We cover what the evidence supports on oral health and overall health.
Keeping it away once it is treated
Brush twice daily along the gum margin rather than only across the tooth, and clean between the teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes. Keep the maintenance interval your dentist sets, which is shorter after gum treatment than the usual six months. Our oral hygiene guide covers technique, and if bad breath or bleeding returns between visits, that is the signal to come in rather than wait.
Where to book
Gum assessments and treatment are available at Suntec City, Marina Square, Marine Parade and Tanjong Katong in Singapore, and Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur. Details are on our clinics page, and the dentists who treat gum disease are listed on our clinical team page.
Frequently asked questions
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis can. It is inflammation caused by plaque, and it resolves once the deposits are removed and kept off. Periodontitis cannot be cured in the same sense: the bone and attachment already lost do not grow back. What treatment does is stop the loss and hold the disease stable, which works well when it is followed up.
Can antibiotics treat gum disease?
Not on their own. Gum disease is driven by a bacterial film stuck to the tooth and root surface, and antibiotics do not remove that film. They are sometimes prescribed alongside cleaning, for example with an acute abscess or rapidly progressing disease, and a dentist decides that case by case. Cleaning the surfaces is the treatment; medication is an adjunct.
Is bleeding when I brush normal?
No, though it is common. Healthy gums do not bleed when they are brushed properly. Bleeding usually means inflammation from plaque at the gum margin. The instinct is to brush that area less, which makes it worse. Clean it gently but thoroughly and have it looked at if it is still bleeding after two weeks.
Does gum treatment hurt?
A routine clean is usually just vibration, pressure and water. Deep cleaning below the gumline is done with local anaesthetic, so the treatment itself is comfortable and the area can ache for a day or two afterwards. Tell the dentist about sensitivity before starting rather than during.
Will my receded gums grow back?
Not by themselves. Recession is permanent, which is why the point of treatment is to stop it going further. Grafting can cover exposed roots in selected cases, and that is assessed individually.
How much does gum treatment cost in Singapore?
A routine scale and polish at NoFrills Dental is $80 to $120 before GST, and a consultation is $50. Deep cleaning is quoted after a gum assessment, because the fee depends on how many sites are involved and how many visits it takes. CHAS cardholders receive their subsidy on scaling at the counter.
Is gum disease linked to other health problems?
Research consistently finds associations between periodontal disease and conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the relationship with diabetes appears to run in both directions. Association is not the same as proof of cause, so the honest position is that treating your gums is worth doing on its own merits and may support the rest of your health.
Related reading
Sources: Sim C and colleagues, Findings from the 2019 nationally representative oral health survey for adults in Singapore, Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2024 (onlinelibrary.wiley.com); Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, GST rate change (iras.gov.sg).
Gums bleeding when you brush?
Book a gum assessment at any NoFrills Dental clinic. We measure, show you the readings, and tell you what stage you are actually at.
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