You brush like a mad dog, floss till your gums bleed, rinse, take those daily vitamins and yet, the next time you visit your dental hygienist she, or he, frowns upon you and asks if you fell off the flossing wagon. Fact is even people with "clean" teeth get periodontal disease.
There are a few individuals that visit their dentist once every several years. They leave with a "slap on the wrist", a new toothbrush and a six month appointment that they won’t keep. They have, stealing a term from the 90’s, grunge mouth. Yuck, but no visible sign of oral destruction other than gingivitis, gum infection that is completely reversible. Perhaps, two "cleaning" appointments is all that is necessary to restore oral health.
A "clean" mouth is one where minimal oral debris, material alba, is found. Gingivitis is not present, or localized to one area of one or two teeth. However, bioflim is present. It’s always present. Even after your dental hygienist skillfully destroys the biofilm it is beginning to rebuild. That’s another story. A clean mouth may harbor really bad bacteria and, dependant on your body’s immune response, the presence of that bacteria may illicit the fighter cells, immune system, to destroy. Taking along with it the supporting structure; gum (gingivia#, bone and stuff.
So, when your hygienist is poking you with that notched metal stick she is checking for destruction that has already happened. What is being measured is where your gingivia #gum# actually is attached to your tooth. Also, how much recession, or gum riding up your tooth, has occurred. Those numbers are added together to get an accurate picture of how much destruction has been caused. Full mouth radiographs, x-rays, are required to view bone pattern. Those two diagnostic tools are the primary basis for diagnosing periodontal disease
If your "numbers" periodontal probings are within normal range (0 - 3) and there is no presence of bleeding it does not mean you don’t have the bad bacteria that cause destruction. There are bacterial tests that can be performed chair side. One test indicates if you harbor enzyme activity for three of the most common marker bacteria for periodontal disease. The other a phase microscope. If one of these tests is performed, at least at the initial dental visit, destruction of the gum and bone can be prevented or at the least retarded.
Be sure to visit your dental professional, dentist and hygienist, on regularly scheduled intervals. It’s worth the time and cost. Not only so you don’t loose your teeth but this immune response may be linked to other health issues.
