Measuring gum pockets

What do your gum pocket measurements really mean? Is it possible to home treat pocket in gums? How to heal deep pockets in gums? When gums loosen, deeper pockets develop.

To measure a pocket we use a periodontal probe.

The probe allows us 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. During the periodontal examination, the dentist gently inserts the probe between the tooth and gum , and then measures from the top of the gum to the bottom of the sulcus or pocket.

Six measurements, in millimeters, are taken around each tooth: three on the outer (lip) side and three on the inner (tongue) side. This is gingivitis which is the mildest form of gum disease. Usually a good cleaning coupled with improved oral self-care is all that is needed.

Pockets that measure millimeters to millimeters indicate signs of disease.

Tartar may be progressing below the gumline and some bone loss could be evident. I purchased a tool to measure the pocket depths in my teeth, but the tool didn’t come with instructions. So this post will be my notes to myself regarding my do-it-yourself dental exam.

Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. Symptoms may still be mild at this stage. Measurements are usually in the 4-mm range and require non-surgical treatment called scaling and root planing (deep cleanings).

Dentists at McCarl Dental Group record six readings, from the top of the gum tissue to the bottom of the pocket , for each tooth during a periodontal examination. Measurements of four millimeters or more are an indication that some gum tissue has detached from the tooth or that there is the beginning of bone loss. In this state, much of the gingival fibers that initially attached the gingival tissue to the tooth have been irreversibly destroyed.

I have had receding gums since my 20’s and my gum pockets have continued to deepen over the years. I am so happy to share with you today how I decreased my tooth gum pockets in the last year. I was at the point of requiring my mouth to be frozen for my oral hygiene appointments. This was not only costly, but required me to. If leaved untreate periodontal disease bacteria can make the pockets to become deeper leading to the tooth supporting structures destroying and causing the dental element loss.

We are measuring in millimeters (also know as “mm”).

Important: The numeral “1” printed on the ruler in my image above is centimeter (cm) which is mm. You’d have some serious gum disease if you have pockets that deep! The natural pocket gets deeper when bacteria or gum disease is present. To monitor and evaluate gum health, the pocket depth is measure recorde and monitored over time. In a healthy mouth, a pocket can be generally from 1-millimeters deep.

It features a soft rubber tip designed for low-pressure delivery of therapeutic rinses. In my personal experience I was able to use this method to avoid a scaling and root planing. It is possible and many have done it. Your periodontist has measured the depth of your pocket(s).

A periodontal pocket reduction procedure has been recommended because you have pockets that are too deep to clean with daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine. This model is limited in that it was originally designed for oral hygiene demonstrations rather than for measuring periodontal pockets. During the cleaning, my pocket depths were read at a few 2-3mm, mostly 4mm, and two 5mm pockets.