What are probing, or pocket depths?
A pocket depth is a measurement of the space between your tooth and the sleeve of tissue that encircles each and every tooth in your mouth. Normal pockets range from 1 to 3 millimeters in the healthy mouth (stack two pennies on top of one another and you have about 3 millimeters). A pocket of 3 millimeters or less is reasonably easy for each and every one of us to clean on a daily basis. Pockets much over 3 millimeters can only be reached with a hygenist’s special instruments. This means that these deeper portions of your tooth are only cleaned when you visit your dentist. Imagine never brushing one or two whole teeth but twice a year! This is simply not often enough to maintain healthy gums. Your dentist and hygenist may recommend various treatments to help combat this. Your dental team may also recommend that you see them 3-4 times a year rather than the normal 2 times a year. This is to both keep closer tabs on your disease process and to clean those hard to reach pockets more often
