dental question (painful, bleeding, surgery, dentist)

[k374]

I had a dental checkup a few days ago and had about 4 areas where my pocket depth was 6mm, most others were 4mm or lower. I brush twice a day but don't floss and my dentist told me that is the reason for the degeneration because brushing is quite superficial and doesn't get in between teeth.

My question is how bad is a 6mm depth and what is the prognosis for healing?

Anyone tried Water Pik, Inc. | Innovation - Health - Sustainability

[gentlearts]

I'm no expert about depth, but my husband pretty much cured his less than perfect gums by using a water pick. It shoots any junk out from around your teeth and the water pressure promotes the good blood circulation in the gums. Of course, check with your dentist first, but it worked for him.
Actually, we always get complimented on how well we floss, but truthfully, we haven't flossed once since we got the waterpic.

[k374]

excellent, I will get one!!

[Elipar]

A 6mm pocket is moderately bad. A pocket depth of greater than 5mm usually will not reduce to a healthy depth (3mm or less) without gum surgery. A waterpik is better than not flossing, but not as good as flossing. Brushing is superficial, cleaning the surface of the teeth and ~1mm below the gums. It doesn't get in between the teeth well. Same problem exists for a waterpik. Flossing gets in between the teeth, but unfortunately can't reach 6mm. The bottom line is that if you want to improve the health of your gums, you need to floss religiously and have check-ups at regular intervals. It takes a long, long time for gum disease to start, so it shouldn't be surprising that there is no simple fix.

[Ellwood]

I have gum disease and all the surgeries, even though I have religiously gone to a dentist every 6 months during my late teen and adult life. I went to several periodonists before I found one that was honest. I gave up smoking which has helped some and have heavy cleanings every three months. There isn't too much that can be done with bone loss. I highly recommend getting cleanings every 3 months.

[KentuckyBlueMoon]

I had a pocket on one tooth that was collecting so much food under it. It was so painful i couldnt chew on that side of my mouth. I had just gotten my braces off and i was too lazy most nights to floss between the wires. Waterpik and flossing and im in good shape now. : )

[cb at sea]

If the pocket stays that deep or worsens, it's not good at all! Floss! Brush! Usually flossing will allow those pockets to heal.

[k374]

I do not floss since I find it extremely difficult to do it effectively so I use a WaterPik. Even though some dentists say it is not as good as flossing many studies indicate it is superior to flossing. My guess is that the water pressure can under gums and in between teeth much better than a floss.

I have been using this for 8 months now and frankly I love this thing, I regret not buying it much earlier!

WATERPIK | Outcomes of Dental Water Jet compared to Traditional Dental Floss from Dentist.net

quote:

Conclusions:

At the conclusion of the study, a manual toothbrush plus a Waterpik® dental water jet was 93% better in reducing facial bleeding and 52% better at reducing facial gingivitis than manual brushing and flossing.
At the conclusion of the study, a power toothbrush plus a Waterpik® dental water jet was 65% better at reducing facial bleeding and 92% better at reducing facial plaque than manual brushing and flossing.
Clinical Implications:

This study indicates that when combined with tooth brushing, oral irrigation is an effective alternative to traditional dental floss for reducing bleeding, gingival inflammation and plaque and in some cases may provide superior results for reducing bleeding and gingival inflammation.
Significant improvements in oral health occurred regardless of toothbrush type, so it is likely that many patients currently using a power toothbrush may get further improvements in oral health by the addition of oral irrigation.
The recommendation of a Waterpik® dental water jet is a viable alternative in order to achieve desired outcomes for non-compliant individuals or those who cannot floss effectively.

[ready2move]

I also carry around and use the Doctor's brush picks. They have little bristles on the end and it gets out everything. It feels great too!

[UW Badgers]

I had to have a periodontal cleaning done almost 2 years ago. I didn't floss. My pockets were 5 and 6mm. Since then and flossing, I'm now mostly 2mm. I have a few 3 and even a few that were at 1. Flossing definetly helps and have been told that that is what is helping me not have anymore periodontal cleanings. If the waterpik works, that's great.