Dentists - what do the numbers mean?
Discussion
Someone on here will know! 
When visiting the dentist and having my teeth inspected, the dentist reads off a set of numbers from 1 to 8. I understand these - he’s counting the teeth, and also calls out fillings.
He also gives out some numbers to be noted down when checking my gums. I keep forgetting to ask what these mean - can anyone fill me in? I think zero is good, but what’s the scale and what is it reference to?
When visiting the dentist and having my teeth inspected, the dentist reads off a set of numbers from 1 to 8. I understand these - he’s counting the teeth, and also calls out fillings.
He also gives out some numbers to be noted down when checking my gums. I keep forgetting to ask what these mean - can anyone fill me in? I think zero is good, but what’s the scale and what is it reference to?
My previous dentist used a scale 0 (good) to 5 (bad) when recording gum recession. They used 'star' to indicate when recession on molars had visibly reached the crossing / middle part between the tooth's roots.
In my case I had a 1-star, in practise all it means is that I need to clean my teeth well to prevent issue, 2 years down the line at my present dentist and she has no issues. I would guess if your practitioner did not raise any concerns or told you to shorten the interval until your next appointment then all is ok.
In my case I had a 1-star, in practise all it means is that I need to clean my teeth well to prevent issue, 2 years down the line at my present dentist and she has no issues. I would guess if your practitioner did not raise any concerns or told you to shorten the interval until your next appointment then all is ok.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff