A gingival pocket is usually 5 millimeters or deeper. It's when the gum tissues surrounding a tooth become inflamed and unhealthy. There's a natural cuff of gum that circles completely around every tooth and seals to the root at its base. The depth of the cuff should be from 1 to 3 mm but if there's inflammation and swelling, the depth increases abnormally leading to food entrapment.

          It's very difficult to remove dental plaque from an unhealthy gingival pocket. The name of the empty area inside the cuff is called the gingival sulcus and the bottom of the cuff is sealed to the tooth root by the gingival attachment. A healthy attachment is necessary to keep bacteria out of the body. This attachment is damaged and lost when there is chronic inflammation.

          A gingival pocket is treated by removing all of the irritating factors using scaling and root planing. Some inflamed gingival tissue is almost always removed either purposely or accidentally when this procedure is done. This allows for rapid healing and a restoration of the gum tissue. The goal is to regenerate the gingival attachment and reduce the sulcus depth down to a normal three millimeters or less.

          An untreated gingival pocket can eventually lead to gum disease and bone destruction. The dentists of the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. We offer treatments for gum disease in our office and you are welcome to join our family of patients. If you wish to visit with Dr. Padolsky, call 404-874-7428. It's your first step in insuring that you have a healthy, happy life.