Patients often hear numbers – like
2, 3, or 4 – being said aloud during their dental cleanings.
These numbers are real measurements
of the depth of the gum pocket around each tooth – and they are important in
determining the condition of your periodontal health.
Periodontal Pockets
The top of gum tissue does not
attach directly to teeth. There is a space of pocket between the gum and the
tooth before it attaches. This space or pocket gets deeper when there is gum
disease. To monitor and evaluate gum health, the pocket depth must be measured,
recorded, and monitored.
In a healthy mouth, a pocket can be
anywhere from 1-3 millimeters deep. To measure a pocket, dental hygienists use
a periodontal probe. The probe allows the hygienists to measure in millimeters
from the top of the pocket to the bottom of the pocket. The bottom of the
pocket is the area where the tissue is connected through ligaments to the
root. This measurement is taken very gently and causes no damage to the
delicate gum tissue.
When a tooth has periodontal
disease, the tissue becomes detached past 3mm deep. Under 3mm deep a pocket is
considered healthy, while 4mm or deeper it is considered unhealthy.
Periodontal pocket measurements are
taken once or twice a year, or more often in patients with active or previous
periodontal disease – and are recorded on your chart. This procedure is just
one of many we carry out to ensure your teeth and mouth stay healthy.
Routine home care with brushing and
flossing adds years to good periodontal health says Dr Cherukuri from her Dental Practice in Chino, California.
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