Periodontal Gum Disease in Birmingham, AL
What Are Periodontal Gum Pockets?
Periodontal Pockets
Periodontal pockets are invisible to the naked eye so you won’t be able to see if your gums have them without an exam from Dr. Maddux. To do this, Dr. Maddux measures the space in between your gums and teeth during a periodontal probe. It is a slim instrument inserted in the gap between your teeth and gums, taking a measurement of the depth of the gap in millimeters.
You feel no discomfort during this measurement, and fortunately the reading gives Dr. Maddux an accurate picture of your gum health.
Healthy gums has a slight gap which can easily collect bacteria and food particles. The space is shallow, so brushing and flossing can easily remove debris from the area. However, a toothbrush only reaches so far, about 2mm to 3mm below the gum line and when periodontal pockets are deeper they can collect debris causing inflammation and swelling as the gum infection worsens.
If this space becomes infected, you will hear Dr. Maddux say you have periodontal pockets and without proper treatment, the bacteria can become worse causing more bone loss around your teeth while destroying the ligaments holding your teeth in place.