If you’ve ever lain back in the chair and heard your hygienist read out a string of numbers, two, three, two, three, three, four, you’ve had your gums measured. It can sound a bit cryptic. It’s one of the most useful things we do at a visit, and it helps to know what the numbers mean.
01Measuring the pockets
Around every tooth there’s a small gap between the gum and the tooth. We measure how deep it is with a probe, a thin instrument marked in millimetres, at several points around each tooth. It shouldn’t hurt, though gums that are already tender will feel it more.
In healthy gums that gap is shallow, usually one to three millimetres. A deeper reading can mean the gum has started to come away from the tooth, often because plaque left along the gumline has kept it inflamed. One deep reading isn’t a diagnosis. A pattern, or a number that grows from one visit to the next, tells us far more.
02Bleeding, recession and movement
The numbers are only part of it. While we measure, we’re also noting:
- Bleeding when the probe touches the gum, which is often an early sign of inflammation
- Recession, where the gum has moved down and shows more of the tooth or its root
- Any looseness in the teeth
- Where plaque and tartar tend to collect, so we can show you the spots your brush keeps missing
Healthy gums don’t usually bleed when they’re cleaned or measured. If yours do, it’s worth paying attention to, even if they’ve bled for years and it has started to feel normal.
One reading tells us how your gums are today. A few readings over time tell us where they’re heading.
03Why we keep a record
Everything we measure goes into your chart, so at your next visit we can compare. That comparison is where the value is. It shows whether gums that were a little inflamed have settled with better cleaning at home, or whether an area needs more attention.
If we find something that needs more than we can do in the hygiene chair, we’ll explain what we saw and refer you to a dentist or a gum specialist. You’ll always know why.
If you’d like to see your own numbers, just ask. We’re happy to go through your chart with you, reading by reading.