Bleeding gums, and some bone loss

Bleeding gums have been an issue of mine for over 40 years. When I have prophylactic treatment, my gums bleed. I’ve been told by my current dentist that it’s not normal and is a sign of infection. But I’m convinced this condition is just hereditary as it has affected other females in my family. My medical history is essentially unchanged, and I take a single prescription for hypertension. My daily home care is above average. I brush with Sonicare after every meal, use dental floss and a Waterpik, interdental brushes, plaque remover picks, dry mouth oral rinse, etc. What else could I possibly do?

My former dentist was “old school” and used hand instruments to scale. Back then, I went for cleanings every four months. The hygienist was rough but I felt she was very thorough. My current dentist for the last five years is very much state of the art. At each cleaning, a pocket depth probe is done and they mainly use an ultrasonic scaler. Dental experts state the vibration of the ultrasonic cleans and the constant water spray flushes away debris. This supposedly leaves a smooth tooth surface for less plaque to accumulate. I’m finding, however, that calculus appears much sooner now. How can that be?

I feel the dentist has a genuine concern for my teeth and what he deems to be mild to moderate bone loss. When he suggested root planning in June, 2017, I had the procedure done. This has been followed up with periodontal maintenance every three months. Upon the dentist’s recommendation, I also visited a periodontist. A saliva test was recently done but the result was inconclusive. I was advised to repeat root planing. There’s been no real answers. Has anyone else had a similar experience?