Periodontal Treatment West Covina, CA | Gum Disease & Deep Cleaning

Medically reviewed by Dr. Homan Hanasab, DDS, MS, CAGS Periodontist & Dental Implant Specialist · LA Clippers Team Dentist · Reviewed September 16, 2026

Periodontal treatment is care for the gums and the bone that hold your teeth in place. It ranges from a deep cleaning that clears infection out of the pockets around your teeth, to grafting that rebuilds tissue that has already been lost. At American Dental Group it is handled by Dr. Homan Hanasab, DDS, MS, CAGS — a periodontist, which means three years of specialty training in exactly this, on top of dental school.

That matters more than it sounds. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and it is almost always painless until it is advanced. Most patients arrive because a hygienist mentioned deep pockets, because their gums bleed, or because a tooth has started to feel loose. All three are treatable. What changes the outcome is how early treatment starts.

Why see a periodontist rather than a general dentist

General dentists treat early gum disease every day, and they treat it well. The difference shows up once the disease has moved past the surface. A periodontist spends three additional years training on the gums, the bone beneath them, and the surgery used to repair both — then does that work full time.

Dr. Hanasab holds a DDS, a Master of Science in Periodontics and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, and he is the LA Clippers team dentist. For a West Covina patient, the practical effect is that deep pockets, bone loss, recession and implants in compromised bone are all handled in this office, by the specialist, instead of being referred somewhere else and coordinated across two practices.

If you want the full comparison, we wrote one: periodontist vs. general dentist.

The signs to take seriously

Healthy gums are firm, pale pink and do not bleed. Any of the following is worth an evaluation:

Bleeding when you brush or floss. The single most common first sign, and the one most often dismissed as normal. It is not normal. Read more on bleeding gums and when to worry.
Red, puffy or shiny gum edges where the gum meets the tooth.
Gums that have pulled back, so teeth look longer or a notch is visible at the root. See receding gums: causes and treatment.
Persistent bad breath or a bad taste that brushing does not fix.
Food packing between teeth in a spot that never used to trap anything.
Teeth that feel loose, or a bite that has shifted. This is a late sign and needs prompt attention.
Pus at the gumline, or a gum abscess. Treat this as urgent — same-day emergency care is available.

A fuller walkthrough of the early stages is here: signs of gum disease and how it is treated.

Gingivitis or periodontitis? The line that decides treatment

Gum disease is not one condition. It is a progression, and where you are on it determines what treatment can achieve.

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum tissue only. The gums bleed and look irritated, but the bone underneath is intact. It is fully reversible — a professional cleaning plus consistent brushing and flossing usually resolves it within weeks.

Periodontitis is what happens when that inflammation reaches the bone. Bacteria settle into the space between gum and tooth, the body's response starts dissolving the bone anchoring the tooth, and a pocket forms. Pockets deeper than about 4 mm cannot be cleaned by brushing, so the infection sustains itself. Bone lost at this stage does not grow back on its own. Treatment stops the process and holds the ground you still have.

We measure this directly. A periodontal evaluation charts six points around every tooth with a calibrated probe, and X-rays show the bone level. That chart, not a visual guess, is what tells us whether you need a routine cleaning or a deep cleaning.

Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing)

Deep cleaning and scaling and root planing are the same treatment. A regular cleaning polishes the surfaces you can see. Scaling and root planing works below the gumline: hardened tartar and bacterial film are removed from the root surfaces inside each pocket, and the roots are smoothed so the gum tissue can reattach instead of sliding over a rough surface.

Here is how it runs at our West Covina office:

Evaluation. Full pocket charting and X-rays. If your pockets and bone levels do not document active disease, we will tell you so and clean your teeth normally — deep cleaning is not something we upsell.
Treatment, usually over two visits. One half of the mouth per visit, with the area numbed. Most patients describe pressure and vibration rather than pain.
Healing. Gums are tender for a few days and teeth may be sensitive to cold for a week or two. Soft foods and over-the-counter pain relief are normally enough.
Reassessment at four to six weeks. We re-chart the same points. Pockets that have closed move to maintenance; anything still deep gets a further plan.

Most dental plans cover scaling and root planing when the charting documents active disease. We verify your benefits and give you a written estimate before treatment begins. A more detailed walkthrough is here: what scaling and root planing actually involves.

Periodontal maintenance — the part that decides whether it holds

Periodontal disease is managed, not cured. Once pockets have formed, the bacteria repopulate them faster than they would in a healthy mouth, which is why patients who have had periodontal treatment move onto a shorter recall — usually every three to four months rather than every six.

A maintenance visit is not a regular cleaning with a different name. Pocket depths are re-charted every time, so any site that is slipping is caught while it is still a small problem. This is the least glamorous part of periodontal care and the part that most determines whether you keep your teeth.

When treatment needs to go further

If pockets stay deep after scaling and root planing, or if tissue has already been lost, there are surgical options. All are performed here by Dr. Hanasab.

Pocket reduction surgery. The gum is lifted, the root surfaces are cleaned directly under vision, and the tissue is repositioned to leave a pocket shallow enough to keep clean at home.
Gum grafting. Tissue is added where recession has exposed root surface — to stop further recession, reduce sensitivity, and protect the root from decay.
Bone grafting and regenerative therapy. Graft material is placed into a defect so the body can rebuild bone in that site. This is often the step that makes a later implant possible. See bone grafting for dental implants.
Crown lengthening. Reshaping gum and bone so a tooth broken near the gumline can still take a crown, or to even out a smile that shows too much gum.

Gum health comes before implants

A dental implant is anchored in bone, and active periodontal infection attacks that same bone. Placing an implant into an untreated site raises the risk that it fails years later. So the sequence is always: treat the periodontal disease, confirm the tissue is stable, then plan the implant.

Because Dr. Hanasab is both the periodontist and the implant surgeon, that sequence happens in one practice with one person responsible for it. If you are considering tooth replacement, start at dental implants in West Covina — and expect a periodontal evaluation as part of the workup.

What periodontal treatment costs

The honest answer is that it depends on how many areas of the mouth are involved and how deep the pockets are. A localised problem in one quadrant is a very different case from generalised disease across the whole mouth.

What we can promise is the process: you get pocket charting and X-rays first, then a written, itemised estimate with your insurance benefits already verified, before anything is scheduled. Scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance are covered by most dental plans when the charting documents active disease. CareCredit, Cherry, Alphaeon and Sunbit financing are all accepted — see patient information for the full list.

Serving West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley

Our office is at 436 N. Sunset Ave, West Covina, CA 91790, a few minutes from the 10 and the 605. We see periodontal patients from Covina, Baldwin Park, La Puente, El Monte, Rowland Heights and Hacienda Heights.

Questions

Periodontal Treatment FAQ

What is the difference between a periodontist and a general dentist?

A periodontist is a dentist who completed three additional years of specialty training in the gums and the bone that hold teeth in place. General dentists treat early gum disease routinely. A periodontist handles the cases that go further than that: deep pockets, bone loss, gum recession that needs grafting, and implants placed into compromised bone. Dr. Homan Hanasab holds a DDS plus an MS in Periodontics and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, so periodontal care at American Dental Group is delivered by a specialist rather than referred out.

How do I know if I have gum disease?

The earliest sign is bleeding when you brush or floss. Gums that look red, puffy or shiny along the tooth edge, breath that does not improve with brushing, and gums that have pulled back so teeth look longer are all signs too. Later stages bring pockets that trap food, sensitivity at the root, and teeth that feel loose or shift. Gum disease is usually painless until it is advanced, which is why it is often found at a checkup before the patient notices anything.

Is scaling and root planing the same thing as a deep cleaning?

Yes. Deep cleaning is the everyday name for scaling and root planing. A regular cleaning polishes the tooth surfaces you can see. Scaling and root planing goes beneath the gumline to remove hardened tartar and bacteria from the root surfaces inside the pockets, then smooths those roots so the gum tissue can reattach. It is a treatment for an active infection, not a routine cleaning, and it is usually done over two visits with the area numbed.

Does a deep cleaning hurt?

The treatment itself should not hurt. The area is numbed with local anaesthetic first, and most patients describe the visit as pressure and vibration rather than pain. Afterwards the gums are usually tender for a few days and teeth can be temporarily sensitive to cold. Over-the-counter pain relief and a few days of softer foods are normally all that is needed.

Does dental insurance cover periodontal treatment?

Most dental plans cover scaling and root planing when the pocket depths and X-rays document active periodontal disease, often at a higher percentage than cosmetic work. Periodontal maintenance cleanings are also usually covered, though plans differ on how many per year. Our team verifies your benefits before treatment starts and gives you a written estimate showing what your plan is expected to pay and what would be out of pocket.

Can gum disease be reversed?

Gingivitis, the earliest stage, can usually be fully reversed with a professional cleaning and better daily care, because no bone has been lost yet. Once it progresses to periodontitis, the bone that has been destroyed does not grow back on its own. At that point treatment shifts from reversing the damage to stopping it: clearing the infection, closing the pockets as far as possible, and keeping it stable with maintenance visits. Grafting can rebuild bone or gum tissue in selected sites.

What happens if I do nothing about gum disease?

It progresses. Pockets deepen, more bone is lost, gums recede, teeth loosen and eventually are lost or need to be removed. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. There is also a well-documented association between periodontal inflammation and conditions including diabetes, heart disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, which is why physicians increasingly ask about gum health.

Do I need healthy gums before getting dental implants?

Yes. An implant is anchored in bone, and active periodontal infection attacks exactly that bone. Placing an implant into an untreated infected site raises the risk of the implant failing later. Periodontal treatment comes first: clear the infection, confirm the tissue is stable, then plan the implant. Because Dr. Hanasab is both the periodontist and the implant surgeon, that sequence happens under one roof rather than across two practices.

Periodontal Treatment in West Covina, CA