Periodontal pocket is a term used in dental medicine to refer to the presence of a depth of an abnormal size of the gingival sulcus. The depth occurs near the contact point between the tooth and gingival tissue. People with periodontitis are also likely to experience these pockets although it is not obvious. Healing periodontal pocket can be a stressful process and there might never be full recovery.
The occurrence of pockets in the mouth results from many different causes. However, one of the major one is when there is a break down in the gums that cause them to be separated from teeth. The pockets usually get filled with harmful bacteria that occur in the mouth. Once the bacteria are inside that space, they multiply rapidly and lead to the opening deepening even more.
Failure to manage pockets while still at the initial stage allows them to get deeper because they form around teeth. Bone and gum tissue are severely damaged by the action of bacteria. Pain is likely to be felt when as the situation gets worse. Eventually, the only solution left would be to extract teeth. All teeth may have to be extracted in very severe cases that have been going on for years.
The severity of the problem dictates what treatment is adopted for periodontal pockets. Infection is usually confined to the gum tissues, while bones remain intact during initial stages of the disease. At that stage pockets have a depth of 4 to 5 millimeters. The best method used is usually scaling and root planning to eliminate formed calculus. Numbing of gums is done if pockets are tender to reduce or eliminate pain as the process is done.
Once this process is finished, one should not feel any pain. Plaque may start forming immediately if proper oral care is not done. It is recommended to brush and floss on a daily basis to keep plaque out. It may take some time, but the gums will move closer to the teeth at the root and health will be restored.
If gums are swollen, they may fail to shrink back into the original position. A dentist has to trim such gums back. A gingivectony is the instrument used for trimming gums backward. If not trimmed, the gums form spaces with teeth and recurrence of pockets is eminent.
Smoothening has to be done to damaged bone to allow for easy reattachment of gum tissue to healthy bone. In moderate stages of the problem, the size of the pockets is usually between 5-7 millimeters. It is inefficient to use scaling and root planning in such cases. That leaves flap surgery the only option.
Flap surgery creates space and an opening through which access can be gained to the depth for cleaning the deposit. Once the surgery is done, gum tissue never reconnects to the tooth easily. This leaves a gap that makes the only way to prevent a repetition of the problem making regular visits to a hygienist to keep cleaning the plaque out. Recovery in cases where the pockets are in an advanced stage is hard and usually the tooth may have to be removed.
The occurrence of pockets in the mouth results from many different causes. However, one of the major one is when there is a break down in the gums that cause them to be separated from teeth. The pockets usually get filled with harmful bacteria that occur in the mouth. Once the bacteria are inside that space, they multiply rapidly and lead to the opening deepening even more.
Failure to manage pockets while still at the initial stage allows them to get deeper because they form around teeth. Bone and gum tissue are severely damaged by the action of bacteria. Pain is likely to be felt when as the situation gets worse. Eventually, the only solution left would be to extract teeth. All teeth may have to be extracted in very severe cases that have been going on for years.
The severity of the problem dictates what treatment is adopted for periodontal pockets. Infection is usually confined to the gum tissues, while bones remain intact during initial stages of the disease. At that stage pockets have a depth of 4 to 5 millimeters. The best method used is usually scaling and root planning to eliminate formed calculus. Numbing of gums is done if pockets are tender to reduce or eliminate pain as the process is done.
Once this process is finished, one should not feel any pain. Plaque may start forming immediately if proper oral care is not done. It is recommended to brush and floss on a daily basis to keep plaque out. It may take some time, but the gums will move closer to the teeth at the root and health will be restored.
If gums are swollen, they may fail to shrink back into the original position. A dentist has to trim such gums back. A gingivectony is the instrument used for trimming gums backward. If not trimmed, the gums form spaces with teeth and recurrence of pockets is eminent.
Smoothening has to be done to damaged bone to allow for easy reattachment of gum tissue to healthy bone. In moderate stages of the problem, the size of the pockets is usually between 5-7 millimeters. It is inefficient to use scaling and root planning in such cases. That leaves flap surgery the only option.
Flap surgery creates space and an opening through which access can be gained to the depth for cleaning the deposit. Once the surgery is done, gum tissue never reconnects to the tooth easily. This leaves a gap that makes the only way to prevent a repetition of the problem making regular visits to a hygienist to keep cleaning the plaque out. Recovery in cases where the pockets are in an advanced stage is hard and usually the tooth may have to be removed.
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