Flabby Gums are Worse than Flabby Abs

Flabby abs may be an issue when wearing a swim suit in public but flabby gums are a serious health issue! Read more below and thank you for visiting Shoreline Endodontics, Groton, CT.

When you hear your dentist or dental hygienist reciting numbers while the inside of your mouth is being examined you may think your teeth are being counted. Not so. Your gum health is actually being assessed.”Gum health can be assessed with a calibrated dental instrument,” says Martin Hogan, DDS, Loyola University Medical Center. “The pocket between the gum and the tooth or root is measured. Dentists will often take measurements of the pocket depth to get a feel for the health of a patient’s gum tissue. Healthy gum tissue will usually yield numbers of less than 4 mm. Higher numbers indicate that the tissue is inflamed and some dental treatment may be necessary.”

Typically, 1 — 3 mm is healthy, 4 is a warning and anything over 5 is a call to action to prevent disease. When a 5 or 6 mm pocket is recorded, a deep cleaning may be recommended. “Patients are numbed and we use special instruments to remove the buildup,” he says. “Patients a risk are then scheduled for a regular cleaning every three months until their gum health has improved.” In rare instances when numbers are higher, gum surgery is conducted. “The gums are flapped back for better access during cleaning and then sutured together,” says Hogan, who regularly performs dental surgery at Loyola Center for Oral Health. “Many patients return to regular activity, including work, immediately.” The stitches are removed later and healing is assessed.

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