Deep Pockets: Good For Your Bottom Line, Bad For Your Gum Line

When someone says they’ve got deep pockets, it’s typically a good thing. It means they’ve got a healthy bank account. However, when it comes to the health of your gums, having deep pockets is quite the opposite. It means our periodontist at Lakeland Periodontics & Implant Dentistry has detected spaces between your teeth and gums that are wider than they should be. But you’ve come to the right place for addressing this condition. Our periodontist is specially trained and experienced in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting your gums and the bone that supports your teeth. 

If having deep financial pockets is a good thing, then why are pockets in your gum line a bad thing? That’s because those pockets provide a convenient hiding place for plaque — that sticky film that can build up and harden into plaque — and other disease-causing bacteria that may lead to tooth and bone loss. So unlike your bank account, the sooner our periodontist empties those pockets, the better.

But first, how does our periodontist diagnose this condition? We’ll actually measure the groove between your gums and teeth at several spots in your mouth using a dental probe. In this case, just a millimeter or two can mean the difference between healthy gums and possible periodontal disease. This precision and expertise is exactly why you’ve come to a periodontal specialist.

Next, what do we do about those pockets? A non-surgical treatment called a deep cleaning enables our periodontist to scale below the gum line to eliminate plaque and other bacteria. Then we smooth out the tooth roots, giving plaque and bacteria fewer places to hide. Rest assured you’ll be kept comfortable by our attentive staff during the entire time you’re in our care.

If you have concerns about your gums or have been referred by your dentist to a periodontist, please contact our specialist at Lakeland Periodontics & Implant Dentistry today for an appointment.