What does it mean to have Deep Gum Pockets?
When you’re at the dentist, sometimes they tell you that your gum pockets are deep. But what does it mean? Well, the gum pocket is the space between the tooth and the gum surrounding it. Usually, it’s measured with a ruler called a probe that looks at the space between the gum and the tooth. Typically, the healthy gums have about 1-3 mm. If there are tartar and plaque, it can create a pocket that’s deeper, and from there, it will create a deeper pocket that’s filled with bacteria and swelling. It’s when you see pockets that are deeper than 3 mm that you can indicate someone has some kind of gum disease.
The deep pockets cause the bacteria to move further and further down below the gums, and from there, can damage the bone that’s around the teeth. The deeper this is, the more severe the inflammation is.
One thing of note is that if you do have this, you may be asked to get a deep cleaning if the pockets are too deep.
Typically, you get regular cleanings that are done every six months. Now, this is a regular cleaning, and usually, you get a scale, and polish and fluoride if needed. But, there is a deeper type of cleaning called scaling and root planning, and this is done if the pockets are greater than 4 mm.
What this means for you, is essentially the professional will careful work underneath the gums to get everything that is there, including particles that are stuck, and bacteria that’s being gross. Usually, the measurement pocket chart is used to diagnose the progress of gum disease, and if you get this, chances are you’re going to have this measured every time.
Typically, before this is begun, you need a topical gel and anesthetic for comfort, and so that you can get a good cleaning. It isn’t just so that it’s not painful, it’s so that you’re not squirmy the entire time either.
Usually, this takes anywhere from 2-3 visits, and depending on the disease level the pockets may be measured once again.
From there, follow-up appointments are done to help confirm that the gums and teeth are getting better, and it is also important for your dentist to make sure that you’re utilizing the techniques that will help get your gums healed.
From there, every 3-4 months you have a follow-up appointment in order to confirm that the gums are healthier, and it will monitor the status of the gums, teeth, and the healing, in order to ensure that the bacteria doesn’t come back. If you’re predisposed to gum disease, you may need to get maintenance cleanings, and sometimes you may have to wait a bit longer, or shorter if you tend to take care of this quickly, and there is a significant improvement.
The thing is, you can’t just sit around and let this continue. If you don’t do something about it now, and if the inflammation is untreated, ti will progress to levels deeper and deeper underneath the gum line, and that can result in you losing teeth over time. So yes, it’s actually pretty important to get one of these, and if your dentist tells you that you need one, you should definitely consider getting one of these, because you owe it to yourself to definitely make sure that you take care of your teeth, and to really make sure that you are watching over the overall state of your oral health, and to ensure that you’re taking care of this, no matter what the odds may be.
With deep cleanings, you need to listen to your dentist and go in for them. These gum pockets matter a lot, and if you have oral health issues, you should rectify these fast, before things get worse, since you’d be surprised at the damage that can happen over such little time, and you’d be surprised at the overall result of you taking care of your own personal health can be for yourself not just over time, but when you feel like you’re ready to truly have the success that you feel you should.
