April 2013 Practice Newsletter

I’ve been having some problems with my car. Ever since the accident in 2011 things keep going wrong with it. The latest was the steering wheel dropping into my lap which even I knew wasn’t a good sign. The mechanic took a look and then proceeded to give me his diagnosis. So much jargon! I consider myself well educated but even I was struggling with the terminology which came tumbling from his mouth.
Now this lead me to think about the practice and how we can sometimes be as guilty too, with our pronouncements.

To de mystify some of those numbers you hear us recording I have included below some advice on the gum scoring we do most visits. It’s available in an information leaflet too so just ask at your next visit if you’d like a copy.
                 Until next time, keep smiling…

                                                     Julie

As part of your comprehensive dental exam your dentist or hygienist will do a chart to monitor the health of your gums. You may hear scores being dictated to be recorded in your dental records.

The chart will look something like this, with a score in 6 boxes.

Each score means as follows: 0    No pockets >3.5mm, no calculus/overhangs,                 no bleeding after probing

 1     No pockets >3.5 mm, no tartar but bleeding

         after probing

 2     No pockets >3.5 mm, but tartar

 3     Probing depth 3.5-5.5 mm plus tartar and

          bleeding

4    Probing depth >5.5 mm  plus tartar and bleeding

* extensive recession of the gum exposing a large       proportion of the roots and usually associated         with mobility of the tooth

X  no teeth in sextant to do a gum chart

 –    not enough teeth in sextant to do gum chart