In a healthy mouth, the space between your teeth and gums (called a sulcus) is one to two millimeters deep. When you have periodontal disease, the sulcus deepens and eventually exceeds three millimeters; it's then called a pocket. In general, the deeper the pockets, the greater the spread of periodontal disease. During your examination, we use a special instrument with millimeter markings (called a periodontal probe) to measure the sulcus or pocket depths around your teeth.

We also carefully note any bleeding as we take your periodontal measurements. When gums bleed upon probing (as well as when you brush) it is another sign of periodontal disease; healthy gums don't bleed. We also note the color and texture of your gums; healthy gums are pink, and have a 'stippled' appearance, similar to the skin of an orange. Swollen gums lose this stippled appearance.

Finally, we take X-rays of your mouth to establish whether there has been bone loss around your teeth - another indicator of periodontal disease. If your mouth is healthy, the bone comes up high around the necks of your teeth. With periodontal disease, bone is lost. The longer it goes untreated, the more bone is lost. Once bone is lost, it never grows back. That's why it's critical to diagnose and treat periodontal disease early - to prevent continued bone loss and the eventual loss of teeth.