Peridontal Disease

Periodontics is the science of treating and maintaining the area of the bone and gums that house the root of the tooth.

Many times while at the dentist, you'll hear the term pocketing, or periodontal pockets. This is the area between the tooth and gums that forms a small, measurable space called a pocket. Generally, pocket depths of 1-3mm are considered within normal limits. If these pockets become deeper, they are then unable to be cleaned properly by a toothbrush or floss. This will allow the bacteria that normally inhabit the area to proliferate or grow and continue to break down the periodontal ligament, causing the pocketing to snowball and worsen. Teeth are not actually attached to the surrounding bone, but are held to the socket by hundreds of tiny ligaments. It's this ligamental attachment that forms the base of the pocket.

In the diagram above, the left side drawing shows gum tissue, which is reddened and slightly irritated. This is the beginning of gingival disease. This is the result of plaque and calculus (tarter) accumulating around the cervical portion of the tooth. This is an irritant to the gum tissue and will cause the reddness and bleeding upon brushing or your dentists probing.

The right side drawing on the above diagram shows periodontally involved teeth. Here, there has been bone loss as well as the gingival irritation. This occurs after extended involvement of irritants to the gum and bone areas surrounding the teeth. The bacteria that live in the base of the pocket release an enzyme that destroys the attachment and causes the bone loss that ultimately results in tooth mobility and eventual tooth loss.