Dental scaling is the most common non-surgical way to treat gum disease, which is also known as periodontitis. If your disease is moderate, but not severe, your dentist may recommend scaling to treat the disease and keep it from getting worse. But if you have severe periodontal disease and your condition may require gum surgery, your dentist and periodontics may recommend scaling and root planning before the surgery, as well as a thorough teeth-cleaning prior to the procedure.