Gingival health—periodontal assessment

Dental Assistant, The, July-August, 2002

Periodontal probe--hand instrument with millimeter calibrations used for measuring pocket depth, attachment width, and size of soft tissue lesions

Periodontitis--inflammation of the periodontium that extends beyond the gingiva

Periodontium--tissues that invest and support the teeth, i.e., the gingivae, cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar and supporting bone

Pocket depth--distance in millimeters from the gingival margin to the base of the pocket

Prognosis--foretelling of the probable course of a disease or forecast of the outcome of a disease or regimen of treatment

Recession--loss of part or all of the gingiva over the root of a tooth

Treatment plan--sequence of procedures planned for the treatment of a patient

This course is brought to you by the ADAA Council on Education and a grant from the John O. Butler Company