Dentist Gum Check Numbers and What They Mean
Complete dental checkups always include evaluating your gum health. Healthy gums are usually firm and pink, don’t bleed easily during brushing and flossing, and fit snugly around teeth.
Understanding Gum Probing
To check whether your gums are a snug fit, your dentist or dental hygienist performs a gum check to probe the spaces between your gums and teeth. Many factors go into understanding your overall gum health, but shallow gum pockets are typically healthier than deep gum pockets.
During an exam, your dentist or hygienist will check for gum pockets by gently inserting the narrow end of a small tool called a periodontal probe into the space between your tooth and gum. While the probe may look sharp, it’s only a tiny ruler with a dull end.
The gum probing process works like this:
- Insert the periodontal probe into the pocket
- Measure the depth of the gum pocket in millimeters (in six places around the tooth)
- Record the pocket depth in your patient chart
- Note any gum bleeding in your chart
- Repeat the gum probing process for each tooth
Why Dentists Care About Gum Check Numbers
Gum probing for periodontal pockets is an important part of preventative care. Diseased gums tend to swell, bleed, and recede, forming gum pockets or periodontal pockets. Unchecked, these gum pockets can deepen with time, allowing plaque and bacteria to collect. This causes infections, and eventually, damages the bone that holds your tooth in place. However, gum probing for pocket depth regularly can reveal gum disease early when options for healing are best.
What Your Gum Check Numbers Mean
The deeper the pockets in your gums, the more serious your gum disease may be:
| Gum Pocket Depth | What it Can Mean* | What to Do About it |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 mm | Generally healthy gums | Keep up the good oral hygiene! |
| 4 mm | Borderline | Step up your oral care routine now |
| 5-6 mm | Gum disease | Consult with your dentist and improve your at-home oral care |
| 7 mm or more | Advanced gum disease | Ask your dentist or periodontist for treatment options, and commit to meticulous oral hygiene at home |
| *These are generalizations. See your dentist to diagnose gum disease. | ||
Dentist Gum Check Numbers and Deep Gum Pockets
If gum probing numbers reveal gum disease, your dentist may prescribe treatment to reduce your gum pocket depth. Practicing better oral hygiene at home may also help reduce your gum check numbers and improve your gum health.
Using a WATERPIK water flosser with the Pik PocketTM tip is an effective way to do just that. Combining pulsations with gentle water pressure, water flossing cleans deep below the gumline where toothbrushes and string floss can’t reach. In fact, in clinical tests, WATERPIK water flossers improved overall gum health in patients with moderate to severe periodontal disease.
Most WATERPIK water flossers are accepted by the American Dental Association. Consider the many models and options available, and start improving your gum probing numbers today.
