“How do you treat a deep pocket in your gums?”

Treatment of "deep pockets" depends on how deep. Usually, the dentist /hygienist/ or periodontist (gum specialist) will use a tiny ruler and record your pocket depth in 6 places around each tooth. The tiny ruler measures your pocket depth in millimeters. Healthy numbers are 1-3mm, a 4 can be maintained by most people with careful, consistent, and effective brushing and flossing and using a rinse that actually kills bacteria. Once the pocket depth reaches 5mm or more, it is harder to maintain and requires "help" from your doctor or hygienist. For pocket depth numbers 5-7mm, we would recommend what is called "deep cleaning" or scaling and root planing. You get numbed with local anesthetic so you are comfortable, and the doctor or usually a dental hygienist will go down under you gums to the bottom of the pocket and clean out all of the buildup of tartar (aka calculus) and plaque. Often laser bacterial reduction and gingival curettage is done to remove infected and inflamed gum tissue. Then after the scaling and root planing, the pocket depths are again measured to see if the numbers have gone down. The idea is to get the numbers down low enough that you can maintain things yourself. Many of our patients come in 3-4 times a year for maintenance visits rather than once or twice a year. If we see that the pocket numbers are being maintained, then that usually does it. If the pocket depths are in the 8-10+ mm deep, we would refer you to the periodontist (gum specialist) and they most likely will recommend gum surgery. Sometimes after scaling and root planing and sometimes surgery in conjunction with scaling and root planing. The goal is the same for all treatments-to get the pockets shallow enough that you can maintain them yourself on a daily basis, and see your dental professional more often like 3 or 4 times a year.

Grant Sims, DDS

Typically with a procedure called scaling and root planning. More frequent trips to the dentist, and possibly doxycycline for a few months.