Gum disease is one of the most frequent issues that dentists see. They’ve developed shorthand terminology to define the health of your gums. One of the measurements they’ll use to gauge your gums is the gap between the pocket of your gum and the nearby tooth. Each of your teeth will receive a number for its gum gap.
Dentists measure this distance in millimeters. As a patient, you want to hear a smaller number. That means that you have a smaller gap between the tooth and gum, a sign of a healthy mouth. A larger number indicates that you have gum issues such as plaque and tartar buildup.
When your distance says that your gums are 1 to 3 millimeters in diameter, what they’re really saying is that you have healthy gums. It’s a sign that you brush and floss regularly, generally taking great care of your teeth.
A larger number is worrisome. Patients with this sort of gap between teeth and gums have likely gone a while between dental cleanings. Inflammation naturally occurs in such situations. It’s even possible that the dentist may warn you that you’re in the early signs of periodontal disease or possibly bone loss. They’ll probably do a check to see whether your gums bleed easily.
A gum number of five millimeters or higher is a problem. Your dentist will almost certainly tell you to get a deep cleaning. The hope is that the cleaning will remove the buildup between the tooth and gum. Other potential causes are a cracked tooth or gum loss. In extreme situations, someone with this level of buildup will need corrective surgery, although dentist will usually prefer to try lesser treatments first.
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