01
Medical and dental history
We review cardiovascular history, diabetes status, smoking, medications that affect gum tissue, and family history. These factors shape your risk profile and your treatment plan.
5 minPeriodontal therapy · Honest scoping
Bleeding gums and 'deep clean' diagnoses — honestly scoped.
We provide basic periodontal (gum disease) treatment in-house, including professional cleaning and non-surgical gum therapy. Our experienced dentists are comfortable managing many stages of gum disease and will guide you through the most suitable treatment options for your needs. For more advanced or complex cases, referral to a specialist periodontist may be recommended when appropriate.
HBF Preferred Provider Bupa Preferred Provider Family visits welcome HICAPS on-site
About gum disease treatment at Chapman Road
Assessment first A calm periodontal assessment starts with measurements, notes, and a plan before any treatment is discussed.
You have been told you need a 'deep clean' and you are not sure whether to trust it. That is the most common way people arrive on this page. The honest answer: some do, some do not, and the only way to know is a proper periodontal assessment — six-point pocket charting, bleeding-on-probing scores, and a staging conversation using the same classification dentists worldwide use.
Dr Jignesh Vania and Dr Geoff Noonan have been doing this work in Geraldton for years. The conversation in the chair sounds different from the conversation on a website. In the chair, it is: 'Let us measure first, then decide. No point doing more than you need. No point doing less than you need either.' That is the voice you will hear here.
Gingivitis is reversible. Periodontitis is stabilisable. The difference between them is measured in millimetres, not guesses. An assessment takes about an hour. You will leave with a written plan, a clear staging, and no pressure to book treatment the same day.
What's included in your assessment.
02
6-point pocket charting
A periodontal probe measures depth at six sites per tooth. Numbers are recorded in millimetres. This is the test that separates gingivitis from periodontitis.
10 min03
Bleeding-on-probing score
The most sensitive clinical marker of ongoing inflammation. We gently probe each site and record where bleeding occurs. A high BOP score tells us the disease is still active, even when you feel no pain.
5 min04
Digital radiographs (when indicated)
Bitewings and periapicals where clinically indicated — not every visit. X-rays show bone levels, root health, and any defects hiding beneath the gum line.
If indicated05
Staging and grading conversation
We communicate your clinical picture using the 2017 World Workshop classification — Stage I through IV, Grade A through C. Written down. Explained in plain English. So you know exactly where you stand before any treatment is discussed.
10 min06
Written plan and home-care coaching
A plain-English treatment plan covering the non-surgical phase, any adjuncts indicated, the re-assessment point at 8-12 weeks, and what maintenance will look like. Plus brushing and interdental technique coaching tailored to your mouth.
10 minThe pathway, step by step.
From assessment to stable gums — here is exactly what happens at each stage, and why it matters.
Step 01 · 45-60 min
Most patients who have been told they need a deep clean are surprised to learn that staging — not guesswork — drives the recommendation.
Step 1 · The assessment
Measurement before diagnosis. Diagnosis before treatment.
A periodontal assessment is not a sales prelude — it is a structured diagnostic visit that tells us whether you need scaling and root planing, a standard clean, or something else entirely.
We start with your medical and dental history — cardiovascular status, diabetes, smoking, medications that affect gum tissue. These shape your risk profile and sometimes change what we recommend. Then we chart every tooth: six-point pocket depths in millimetres, recession, attachment level, furcation involvement where relevant.
The bleeding-on-probing score is recorded site by site. Digital radiographs are taken when clinically indicated — bitewings for interproximal bone, periapicals for root and periapical health. The staging and grading conversation follows: Stage I-IV, Grade A-C, written down, explained in plain English. You leave knowing exactly what kind of gum disease you have — if any — and what the evidence says about treating it.
- Medical and dental history reviewed for systemic risk factors
- 6-point pocket charting at every tooth surface
- Bleeding-on-probing score recorded site by site
- Digital radiographs when clinically indicated
- Staging and grading written and explained
Step 02 · 45-60 min per session
SRP produces around 0.5mm average improvement in clinical attachment level on average — modest in millimetres, meaningful in how your mouth feels.
Step 2 · Non-surgical therapy
Scaling and root planing, under local anaesthetic, one quadrant at a time.
This is the "deep clean" your dentist mentioned — except now you know what it actually is. Removal of plaque and calculus from below the gumline, with local anaesthetic so you feel pressure, not pain.
Scaling and root planing (SRP) is the evidence-based first-line treatment for periodontitis. We work one or two quadrants per visit, under local anaesthetic — typically lignocaine or articaine with vasoconstrictor, placed carefully at the gumline. You feel pressure and vibration, not sharp pain. Each session runs 45-60 minutes. Most patients need two to four visits to complete the full mouth, depending on staging and build-up.
After SRP, the gum tissue begins to heal. For many patients, bleeding reduces within a few weeks and pocket depths improve as inflammation subsides, though outcomes vary by staging, smoking status, and home-care consistency. The average improvement in clinical attachment level reported in studies is around 0.5mm — modest in millimetres, meaningful in mouth-feel. Your clinician will set a realistic expectation at your assessment. We re-assess at 8-12 weeks to see how your gums responded, and whether any sites need further attention.
Typical sessions2-4 visits
Per session45-60 min
AnaestheticLocal at gumline
Re-assessment8-12 weeks
- Ultrasonic and hand scaling below the gumline
- Local anaesthetic at every session — pressure, not pain
- Two to four visits depending on quadrants and staging
- Re-assessment at 8-12 weeks post-therapy
Step 03 · 30-45 min
The interval is individualised — shorter when healing, longer when stable. We review it at every visit.
Step 3 · Maintenance recare
Maintenance is the win. The therapy gets you stable; the recare keeps you there.
After active therapy, the real work is keeping the disease from returning. That happens through periodontal maintenance recare — a schedule tailored to your risk, not a one-size-fits-all calendar.
Evidence for a universal three-month recall is weak. Current guidance suggests a 2-4 month interval for patients with moderate-to-advanced periodontitis initially, with intervals extended to 6-12 months once stability is demonstrated. At Chapman Road, we review your gum health at each maintenance visit and adjust the interval based on what we find — shorter if inflammation is returning, longer if things are holding steady.
Maintenance visits include pocket-depth re-charting, BOP scoring, tartar removal, and a review of your home-care technique. For patients who graduated from SRP, these visits are the difference between stable gums and a return to active disease. Bupa and HBF extras may contribute to eligible periodontal treatment item numbers, depending on your fund, policy, limits, waiting periods, and the item numbers used.
- Pocket-depth re-charting at key sites
- Bleeding-on-probing score updated
- Tartar removal and polish
- Home-care technique reviewed and adjusted
- Interval adjusted based on stability markers
Step 04 · As needed
Referral is co-management, not abandonment. We write the letter, share your records, and stay involved.
Step 4 · When referral is the right call
We refer when specialist care is the right call.
Not every case belongs in general practice. When staging, response to therapy, or complexity says specialist care is appropriate, we say so — and we help you get there.
The Dental Board of Australia requires practitioners to work within their scope and refer when patient needs exceed it. Typical thresholds for referral include Stage III/IV disease at initial assessment, failure to respond to non-surgical therapy at re-assessment (residual deep pockets, continued attachment loss), complex osseous defects requiring regenerative surgery, or cases needing co-ordination with implant or prosthodontic specialists.
We provide basic periodontal (gum disease) treatment in-house, including professional cleaning and non-surgical gum therapy. Our experienced dentists are comfortable managing many stages of gum disease and will guide you through the most suitable treatment options for your needs. For more advanced or complex cases, referral to a specialist periodontist may be recommended when appropriate.
- Stage III/IV at initial assessment
- Non-response to SRP at 8-12 week re-assessment
- Osseous defects needing regenerative surgery
- Co-ordination with other dental specialists required
- Detailed referral letter with full records
Three kinds of patientswalk through our door.
One has been told they need a deep clean and they are not sure it is real. Another has been brushing around bleeding for months. The third can feel a tooth move. Each gets an honest assessment — no upsell, no dismissal.
Bleeding when I brushDeep clean was recommendedMy tooth feels loose
Your gums bleed. You hope it is normal. It is not — but it is fixable.
Around 30% of Australian adults have moderate to severe gum disease, and many more have gingivitis they dismiss as just brushing too hard. A proper assessment tells you which one you have. If it is gingivitis, a thorough clean and better home care usually resolves it completely. No deep clean needed. No ongoing drama. Just honest measurement and the right step.
You were told you need a deep clean. You are wondering if it is real.
That suspicion is healthy. A deep clean — scaling and root planing — is real treatment, but it should only follow a proper assessment with pocket charting and staging. At Chapman Road, we measure first, then recommend. If your staging says gingivitis, you get a standard clean. If it says periodontitis, we explain exactly why SRP is indicated, how many visits, and what it costs — before you agree to anything.
You can feel it move when you bite. You have been hoping it settles.
A mobile tooth usually means Stage III or IV periodontitis — advanced attachment loss that needs careful assessment. We chart the pocket depths, take radiographs, and stage the disease honestly. Non-surgical therapy may reduce inflammation and stabilise the tooth. If the prognosis is poor, we tell you plainly and discuss whether referral to a specialist periodontist may be recommended. We do not promise rescue. We promise an honest plan.
What healthy gumsfeel like after therapy.
Healing depends on your staging, your home-care consistency, and whether you smoke. Your clinician will set a realistic expectation at your assessment.
What recovery looks like.
Healing from scaling and root planing follows a consistent arc. Here is what to expect at each milestone — and what it means for your plan.
Week 1-2 after SRPGums tender and healing
→Gentle brushing onlyNo deep flossing on treated sites
8-12 week re-assessmentPocket depths and BOP re-charted
→Plan adjusted based on responseFurther SRP or referral if needed
Stable at re-assessmentPockets holding, low BOP score
→Move to maintenance recare3-6 months initially, then review
Persistent deep pocketsSites not responding to SRP
→Discuss adjuncts or specialist referralStage III/IV threshold applies
Why act now,not every time it hurts.
Periodontitis is silent until it is not. Bone lost to gum disease does not grow back. The good news: caught at assessment, most cases stabilise with non-surgical therapy and a maintenance plan that fits your life.
Silent
Sources: Ha et al 2020; Caton et al 2018Early periodontitis has no pain signal.
You will not feel the transition from reversible gingivitis to permanent bone loss. That is why the assessment matters — it catches what your nerves cannot. Left alone, bone loss continues quietly. Caught early, the same case is typically stabilisable without surgery.
Permanent
Sources: Caton et al 2018; Papapanou et al 2018Bone loss does not reverse itself.
Attachment and bone lost to periodontitis do not spontaneously regenerate. Stabilisation arrests further loss, but what is gone is gone. The earlier you act, the more bone you keep. The later you act, the more complex the pathway becomes.
Linked
Sources: Preshaw et al 2012; AHA 2012, 2025Research suggests connections to diabetes and heart health.
Diabetes is associated with approximately threefold increased susceptibility to periodontitis, and the relationship is bidirectional. Cardiovascular disease shows an independent association with periodontal disease per AHA scientific statements from 2012 and 2025. These are associations, not proven cause-and-effect. They are, however, reason enough to take gum disease seriously.
Links between periodontitis and systemic conditions reflect research associations, not proven cause-and-effect. Individual outcomes vary by staging, home care, and smoking status.
For Bupa and HBF members
Your extras may help with maintenance recare.
If you are on HBF or Bupa extras, periodontal maintenance visits may attract benefits under eligible periodontal treatment item numbers. Bring your health fund card and reception can help process eligible HICAPS claims or estimates once item numbers are known. Benefits, limits, waiting periods, and gaps depend on your fund and policy.
Ask reception for an eligible HICAPS claim or estimate before treatment starts.
What you willactually pay.
The fear is usually the surprise at the end, not the number itself. If scaling and root planing costs more than a standard check-up, we will tell you the total at assessment — not bill you a surprise.
Common check-up costs, indicative
Periodontal assessmentFull charting, BOP score, staging conversation, written plan
Quote at assessmentScaling and root planingPer quadrant, including local anaesthetic — staging dependent
Quote at assessmentPeriodontal maintenance recarePocket re-charting, clean, home-care review — interval personalised
Quote at assessmentDigital radiographs (when indicated)Bitewings, periapicals, or OPG as clinically required
Quote at assessmentIndicative fees only. Final cost is quoted in writing before any treatment starts. Out-of-pocket depends on your policy, waiting periods, and annual limits.
HBF, Bupa and other funds
Bring your health fund card and reception can help process eligible HICAPS claims or estimates once treatment item numbers are known. Benefits, limits, waiting periods, and gaps depend on your fund and policy.
Quote at assessment
Scaling and root planing pricing depends on staging, quadrants, and whether adjuncts are needed. We provide a written estimate after assessment — we do not publish a generic "from $X" because the honest number depends on your specific case.
Written estimate before treatment
For larger treatment courses, we explain the fees before treatment starts. If a health fund may contribute, reception can help process eligible HICAPS claims once item numbers are known.
Health funds we accept
AHPRA-registered practitioners. Any treatment procedure carries risks; individual results vary. Please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
While you are here,these might matter too.
Questions worth askingbefore you book.
Bleeding gums when you brush. Maybe your dentist mentioned "pocket depths" at the last visit. What is actually going on?
Gingivitis vs periodontitis — the line that matters
Gum disease is not one thing. It is a spectrum. At the early end sits gingivitis: inflammation of the gum tissue without any loss of the bone that holds your teeth in place. Gingivitis is reversible — a thorough professional clean plus improved home care will usually resolve it completely. At the other end sits periodontitis: inflammation that has progressed to attachment loss and bone loss. Periodontitis is not reversible in the way gingivitis is. What it is, is stabilisable — with the right therapy and the right maintenance schedule.
How the disease is classified
Dentists worldwide now use the 2017 World Workshop classification, which replaced older terms like "chronic" and "aggressive" periodontitis with a staging and grading system. Stage I through IV describes severity — how much attachment and bone has been lost. Grade A through C describes how fast it is progressing. This is the language we use at your assessment, written down and explained in plain English, so you know exactly where you stand.
What you might notice at home
Bleeding when you brush or floss is the most common early sign. Later, you might notice gums pulling back from teeth, a persistent bad taste or metallic breath, gaps opening between teeth, or a tooth that feels slightly loose. Here is the critical detail: periodontitis is typically painless until it is advanced. The absence of pain does not mean the absence of disease. That is precisely why routine assessment matters — and why the check-up and clean is where early gum disease most often gets caught.
How common is this in Australia?
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 30% of Australian adults aged 15 and over had moderate or severe periodontitis in 2017-18. The figure rises sharply with age. In other words, if your gums are bleeding, you are not unusual — but you are also not without options. The earlier the stage, the simpler the fix. Book a periodontal assessment and find out which stage you are in.
Sources
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare — Oral health and dental care in Australia (prevalence of periodontitis, 2017–18 National Study of Adult Oral Health)
- Caton et al 2018 — A new classification scheme for periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions (2017 World Workshop). Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
When you are ready
Book a periodontalassessment in Geraldton.
No pressure. An assessment is the step before any treatment — and most of the time the plan turns out to be simpler than feared. Book online in under two minutes, or ring reception on (08) 9964 3577 if you would rather talk.
Visit us 100 Chapman RdGeraldton WA 6530
Opening hours Mon–Fri 8am–5pmSat by appointment
Call reception (08) 9964 3577hello@chapmanroaddental.com.au