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Glossary

Sulcus

A circumferential pocket formed by a tooth emerging from the gums on one wall, and the unattached portion of the gums on the other. A healthy sulcus is typically less than 4mm deep at its deepest point, where the attachment fibers from the gingiva connect to the tooth. Probing the sulcus to measure its depth is not tender, and does not produce bleeding if the gum tissues are healthy.
Learn more: Glossary › Gingiva

Figure 1: The gingival sulcus is the source of a significant amount of dental disease. Food which is not removed from the sulcus is quickly populated with mouth bacteria, forming plaque. Plaque bacteria cause tooth decay and gum disease.

This page was last modified on 4/17/2009 and last published on 1/14/2010.

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