What does a periodontal exam consist of?
During a periodontal exam, your dentist is checking the health of your gums. At the top of the gumline, teeth aren’t actually connected to the gums. There are spaces or “pockets” that separate them. These pockets can contain bacteria and other indicators of gum disease.
Is a periodontal exam painful?
The periodontal exam can be completed with little or no discomfort.
How do you check periodontal status?
Periodontal probing assessments and methods
- Gingival bleeding. Bleeding following gentle running of a periodontal probe around the gingival margin area at the dento-gingival junction denotes inadequate marginal plaque control by a patient.
- Bleeding on probing (BOP)
- Probing depth and loss of attachment.
- Clinical probing.
What are the three categories of periodontal health?
Within this new classification system, periodontal diseases and conditions are divided into three main categories: 1) periodontal health, gingival diseases, and conditions; 2) periodontitis; and 3) other conditions affecting the periodontium.
How long does a periodontal exam take?
A hygienist can complete a thorough periodontal chart in five to seven minutes when assisted by a team member. The ADA has indicated that a complete periodontal exam must be recorded for patients on an annual basis.
Is dental probing painful?
In untreated cases, full-mouth periodontal probing has always been an extremely painful experience which is mainly due to the persisting inflammation of the periodontal tissues [1]. The pain experienced during this baseline examination procedure has always been a matter of concern but is not taken care of.
How accurate is periodontal probing?
A previous study that used a periodontal probe found differences within 1 mm when measuring the pocket depth10, which is consistent with the present study showing a 1-mm overestimation in clinical measurements made using the periodontal probe.
Is age a risk factor for periodontitis?
Age. Studies indicate that older people have the highest rates of periodontal disease. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 70% of Americans 65 and older have periodontitis.