8 Ball in the Corner Pocket: Winning Against Periodontal Disease

In the dental world, an 8 and a pocket aren't a good sign.  It's a sign of a serious disease of inflammation and bone loss called Periodontitis and it's not a game you want to play.

When people visit their dentist for a cleaning, the hygienist typically will probe the gums for a reading.  The numbers patients want to hear is 1-3 (healthy gum tissue).  4 indicates gingivitis (inflamed and bleeding gums), the beginning of periodontitis but still a reversible condition.  Numbers higher than 5 indicate the gums are separating from the teeth and can also be evidence of bone loss.

Bone Loss

The image on the left shows complete bone loss between two teeth.  Interestingly, patient came in every four months for a regular adult cleaning.  This happened in a very short amount of time which is not typical.  For many patients the type of bone loss would take years.

Periodontal disease is irreversible, however it is possible to improve and control the disease with needed treatments and excellent home care.

How are these pockets created?  Many factors can lead to gum disease: not brushing/flossing, other medical conditions such as Diabetes, medications causing dry mouth, etc.

Ultimately it starts as gingivitis.  The gums become inflamed and bleed due to bacteria in our mouth feeding off the plaque and tarter buildup.  The bacteria continue to feed until the inflammation causes the gums to pull away from the teeth.  Eventually the bacteria reach the jaw bone and continue eating away at the bone.

What are the risks?  Periodontal disease has been linked to other diseases such as heart disease.  Constant inflammation in the body is a sign of overall infection.  Since there are no fences in our body, the source of the inflammation (bacteria) is allowed to move to other sites in the body.

How do you control Periodontitis?  In most cases, patients will undergo Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing.  This treatment gets below the gum and begins cleaning out the bacterial infection between the gums and the teeth.  This allows the gums to heal and reconnect with the teeth.  Unfortunately bone loss is not reversible.  If there has been extensive bone loss, teeth can become mobile (loose) and gums can recede. Gum grafting surgery may be necessary.

Once scaling and root planing is complete, the patient will need to receive a periodontal maintenance more frequently than those who have healthy gums, typically every 3 to 4 months.

It will never cost less or hurt less than it does today!