How long to recover from gingivitis? at my dentist appointment the other day, when my dentist measured my gum depth, there were several that came in at five. can i do anything at home between now and six months from now when i go to the dentist next to fi

Gingivitis : Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gum and it is reversible with proper flossing and brushing within a week. However a pocket of 5 mm depicts possibilty of slight amount of bone loss and this is beyond a simple gingivitis. Brushing and flossing would definitely help the situation when it is done correctly. However, i would recommend more frequent professional cleaning such as every 3 to 4 months and possibley a deep cleaning initially depending on the clinical exam and the radiographs. If the situation gets worse i would recommend a consultation with a specialist.

If : If your dentist recently deep-cleaned those areas, there are chances that the pocket depth might reduce to around 3 millimeters. If it does, then, these areas will be easily maintainable by you using brush and floss in between your regular 6 month dental cleaning appointments. If you want to find this out, you can see your dentist after 4-6 weeks of your deep cleaning appointment for a "re-evaluation visit". Hope that helps.

Every 3 months: Yyour question states that you are going back to see your dentist in 6 months: first of all if you have 4 to 5 mm pockets you have periodontal disease ( bone loss) not gingivitis, the recommendations of the aap is to re-evaluate the pockets after 6 to 8 weeks and then get your periodontal recare evry 3 months. If your insurance does not cover it, you need to pay for the extra visits out of pocket.

Floss: Without getting too technical, if part of that deep measurement is due to swollen gums, then your good home care can possibly make an improvement in the measurement. But if you are losing attachment, you may need active treatment like a deep cleaning and can't remedy this yourself. But floss!

Home care: With less inflammation, you will have less pocket depth. Brush and floss daily. Consider more frequent cleanings. Prevention is the key.