The periodontist will also take a small measuring instrument called a probe and place it between the teeth and gums to determine the depth of those spaces, known as periodontal pockets; this helps the periodontist assess the health of the gums.
The ground substance of connective tissue is different from all of these fluids; it is the liquid medium through which these other fluid exchanges take place.
The amorphous ground substance of connective tissue is a transparent material with the properties of a viscous solution or a highly hydrated thin gel. Its principal constituents are large carbohydrate molecules or complexes of protein and carbohydrate, called glycosaminoglycans (formerly known as mucopolysaccharides).