A gum disease screening exam should be done regularly by your dentist or dental hygienist. The examination results derived will determine your periodontal status. Your treatment will be personalized if you have gum disease and depending on the level of your gum infections. The dentist may require periodontal surgery once he finds deep periodontal pockets and the disease is already irreversible. A routine cleaning only is not enough to treat gum disease. Bad gum conditions develops as we age and it is really important to catch the disease earlier because the remedies and treatments work best before the disease has already spread. Pain often is not an early symptom of the disease. Regular dental check ups is a good time for your dental hygienist to look for the early signs of gum disease. Do not hesitate to see your dentist if you have experience bleeding and swelling of the gums.