The document discusses the anatomy and characteristics of the gingiva. It describes the gingiva as being divided into three areas: the marginal, attached, and interdental gingiva. It outlines the key features of each area, including their structure, width, color, texture, and how they differ between individuals. The gingiva acts as a protective barrier and its characteristics help it function against mechanical and microbial damage in the oral cavity.

1. Submitted to :
department of
periodontology

2. Gingiva is basically the anatomical term for the gums. found in
the oral cavity
 (clinically) In an adult, normal gingiva covers the alveolar bone
and tooth root to a level just coronal to the cej (cementoenamel
junction )
 The gingiva is divided anatomically into marginal, attached, and interdental
areas
 all types are specifically structured to function appropriately against mechanical and
microbial damage
Marginal
Interdental
Attached

3.  The marginal or unattached gingiva is the terminal
edge or border of the gingiva that surrounds the
teeth in collar like fashion
 The marginal gingiva is usually about 1 mm wide,
and it forms the soft-tissue wall of the gingival
sulcus
 In about 50 % of cases it is demarcated from the
adjacent attached gingiva by a shallow
linear depression called the free gingival groove

4.  The interdental gingiva occupies the gingival
embrasure, which is the interproximal space
beneath the area of tooth contact
 The interdental gingiva can be pyramidal, or
it can have a “col” shape
 The shape of the gingiva in a given
interdental space depends on the contact
point between the two adjoining teeth and
the presence or absence of some degree of
recession

5.  The attached gingiva is continuous with the
marginal gingiva
 It is firm, resilient, and tightly bound to the
underlying periosteum of alveolar bone
The facial aspect of the attached gingiva extends to
the relatively loose and movable alveolar mucosa; it is
demarcated by the mucogingival junction
 The width of the attached gingiva is another important clinical
parameter
The width of the attached gingiva on the facial aspect differs in
different areas of the mouth.40 It is generally greatest in the
incisor region (i.e., 3.5 to 4.5 mm in the maxilla, 3.3 to 3.9 mm in
the mandible) and narrower in the posterior segments (i.e., 1.9
mm in the maxillary first premolars and 1.8 mm in the mandibular
first
premolars

6. size
contour
consistency
shape
position

7. • The color of the attached and marginal gingiva is generally
described as “coral pink”; it is produced by the vascular supply,
the thickness and degree of keratinization of the epithelium, and
the presence of pigment-containing cells
• The color varies among
different persons and appears to be correlated with the
cutaneous
pigmentation.
• It is lighter in blond individuals with fair complexions
than in swarthy, dark-haired individuals
• The attached gingiva is demarcated from the adjacent
alveolar
mucosa on the buccal aspect by a clearly defined mucogingival
line
• The alveolar mucosa is red, smooth, and shiny rather than
pink
and stippled

8. Melanin is a non–hemoglobin-derived brown pigment with the following
Characteristics :
• Melanin is responsible for the normal pigmentation of the skin, the gingiva,
and the remainder of the oral mucous membrane
• Melanin is responsible for the normal pigmentation of the skin, the gingiva,
and the remainder of the oral mucous membrane
• Melanin pigmentation in the oral cavity is prominent in black individuals
According to Dummett,73 the distribution of oral pigmentation
in black individuals is as follows: gingiva, 60%; hard palate, 61%;
mucous membrane, 22%; and tongue, 15%. Gingival pigmentation
occurs as a diffuse, deep-purplish discoloration or as irregularly
shaped brown and light-brown patches

9. • The contour or shape of the gingiva varies considerably and
depends on the shape of the teeth and their alignment in the
arch
• The marginal gingiva envelops the teeth in collar like fashion
and follows a scalloped outline on the facial and lingual
surfaces
• It forms a straight line along teeth with relatively flat surfaces
• A thin and clear gingiva is found in one third of the
population and primarily in females with slender teeth with a
narrow zone of keratinized tissue, whereas a clear, thick
gingiva with a broad zone of keratinized tissue is present in
two thirds of the population and
primarily in males

10. • The gingiva presents a textured surface similar to that of an orange peel
and is referred to as stippled
• Stippling is best viewed by drying the gingiva. (The attached gingiva is
stippled; the marginal gingiva is not)
• Thecentral portion of the interdental papillae is usually stippled, but the
marginal borders are smooth
• Stippling is less prominent on lingual than facial surfaces and may be
absent in some persons
• Microscopically, stippling is produced by alternate rounded protuberances
and depressions in the gingival surface
Stippling is a form of adaptive specialization or reinforcement for function.
(It is a feature of healthy gingiva) and the reduction or loss of stippling is a
common sign of gingival disease
• The surface texture of the gingiva is also related to the presence and
degree of epithelial keratinization
(Keratinization is considered a protective adaptation to function. It increases
when the gingiva is stimulated by toothbrushing)

11. • The position of the gingiva is the level at which the gingival margin is attached
to the tooth
When the tooth erupts into the oral cavity, the margin and sulcus are at the tip of
the crown; as eruption progresses, they are seen closer to the root.

12. • The shape of the interdental gingiva is governed by
the contour of the proximal tooth surfaces and the
location and shape of the gingival embrasures
• When the proximal surfaces of the crowns are
relatively flat faciolingually, the roots are close
together
• The height of the interdental gingiva varies with the
location of the proximal contact. Thus, in the anterior
region of the dentition, the interdental papilla is
pyramidal in form, whereas the papilla is more
flattened in a buccolingual direction in the molar
region