you may not need surgery. if you're really worried about it go see Dr. Cram - google her and all her info will come up. she's a periodontist in Farrugut DC. you could ask her for an initial overview exam for less $ than the full exam and see if she goes for it. she recently saw me and gave me a second opinion on whether I needed gum surgery. since she didn't need to go a full exam she charged me less than her regular rate.
also, there are many websites out there discussing gum health - I found a lot of good info on the Mayo website.