For decades, checking the gum was a very unpleasant experience for patients and doctors, because the examination was very painful for the patient. Dentists used something called a Periodontal Probe to poke around the gums, and, depending on the state of the gums, resulting in inflammation, swelling, pain, and bleeding.
Today, we utilize a specific microscope to examine gum health. This is more powerful because, compared to the traditional poking of each individual tooth and determining gum health at only a visual level, we are able to evaluate gum health on a microscopic level and recognize gum disease in the early stages of development.