The gingiva is a masticatory mucosa that covers the alveolar process of the jaw and surrounds the neck of the teeth. It is made up of epithelium and connective tissue. The gingiva can be divided into three types - free gingiva, gingival sulcus, and attached gingiva. Microscopically, the gingival epithelium consists of outer oral epithelium, sulcular epithelium, and junctional epithelium. The gingiva also contains dense collagen fibers called the gingival ligament. Blood supply to the gingiva is provided by the alveolar artery and it receives nerve innervation from various nerves depending on location.

1. INTRODUCTION:-
۞ GINGIVA is a masticatory mucosa and covers
the alveolar process of the jaw and surrounds the
neck of the teeth.
۞ The gingival extends from the dentogingival
junction to the alveolar mucosa. It is subject to
friction and pressure of mastication.
۞ The stratified squamous epithelium may be
keratinized or non-keratinized but most often it is
parakeratinized.
۞ The gingival appears slightly depressed between
adjacent teeth, corresponding to the depression

2. on the alveolar process between eminence of the
sockets.
۞ The gingiva is limited on the outer surface of
both the jaws by the mucogival junction, which
separates it from the alveolar mucosa.
۞ The alveolar mucosa is red & contains numerous
small vessels coursing close to the surface.
۞ The gingival is normally pink but sometimes
have grayish tint.
۞ Gingiva is attached immovably and firmly to the
periosteum of the alveolar bone.
۞ On the inner surface of the lower jaw a line of
demarcation is found between the gingival and
the mucosa on the floor of the mouth.

3. TYPES OF GINGIVA:-
The gingival is divided into three types:
A) Free or unattached or marginal gingival
B) Gingival sulcus.
C) Attached gingiva.

4. A) FREE OR UNATTACHED OR
MARGINAL GINGIVA:-
۞ The free gingival is the terminal edge of the
gingival which is usually about 1mm wide and
surrounds the teeth.
۞ The free gingival forms one of the walls of the
gingival sulcus and is separated from the
attached gingival by a groove called free gingival
groove.
B) ATTACHED GINGIVA:-
۞ It is the continuation of the free gingival and
extends up to the alveolar mucosa.
۞ The attached gingival is separated from the
alveolar mucosa by a mucogingival sulcus.
۞ The width :-
→3.5-4.5 mm in the maxillary anterior region
→3.3-3.9mm in the mandibular anterior region.
→Posteriorly the width of the attached gingival
is less.

5. →It is the least at the first premolar area being
→1.9mm-maxilla and 1.8mm-mandible.
C) INTERDENTAL PAPILLA:-
۞ It is the part of gingival that fills the space
between two adjacent teeth.
۞ It is a shallow V shaped space surrounding the
tooth.
۞ It is bounded on one side by the tooth and on the
other side by the free gingiva.
۞ From oral or vestibular aspect, the surface of the
interdental papilla is triangular.
۞ The depressed part of interdental papilla is called
COL.
۞ Col is covered by thin non-keratinized
epithelium.
۞ Elastic fibers known as OXYTALAN fibers are
present.

6. MICROSCOPIC FEATURES OF
GINGIVA:-
۞ Broadly speaking gingival is made up of
epithelium and connective tissue.
۞ The gingival epithelium can be studied under
three headings:-
1) Outer or oral epithelium
2) Sulcular epithelium
3) Junctional epithelium.
GINGIVAL
EPITHELIUM
OUTER OR ORAL SULCULAR JUNCTIONAL
EPITHELIUM EPITHELIUM EPITHELIUM
STRATUM
BASALE
STRATUM
CORNEUM
STRATUM
SPINOSUM

7. 1) OUTER OR ORAL EPITHELIUM:-
۞ The epithelium consists of the following layers:
a) Stratum basale:- cuboidal cells.
b) Stratum spinosum:- large polyhedral cells
→Desmosomes
c) Stratum corneum:- superficial most layer
Large, wide, flat and
lacking nucleus.

8. 2) SULCULAR EPITHELIUM:-
۞ Extends from the coronal area of the junctional
epithelium to the free margin of the gingival.
۞ Epithelium is nonkeratinized.
۞ Epithelium lacks heavy ridges and papillae.
۞ It is not keratinized due to constant irritation of
plaque.
3) JUNCTIONAL EPITHELIUM:-
۞ Cells become cuboidal after ameloblasts have
finished formation of enamel.
۞ It forms a collar around the fully erupted tooth.
۞ It consist of stratified squamous nonkeratinizing
epithelium of 3-4 cell thickness having
length of 0.25-1.35 mm.
TYPES OF GINGIVAL
LIGAMENT:-

9. ۞ The gingival contains dense fibers of collagen,
sometimes referred to as gingival ligament,
which is divided into:-
1) DENTOGINGIVAL:-
Extends from cervical cementum into
the lamina propria of the gingival.
2) ALVEOLOGINGIVAL:-
The fibers arise from the alveolar crest
& extend into the lamina propria.

10. 3) CIRCULAR:-
A small groups of fibers that circle the
tooth & interlace with the other fibers.
4) DENTOPERIOSTEAL:-
These fibers can be followed from the
cementum into the periosteum of the
alveolar crest and of the vestibular and
oral surfaces of the alveolar bone.
۞ There are also accessory fibers that extend
interproximally between adjacent teeth &
are also referred to as transseptal fibers.
۞ These fibers make the interdental ligament.

11. DIFFERENT TYPES OF
EPITHELIAL LAYERS:-
1) KERATINIZATION (75%) :-
# In which the superficial cells form
scales of keratin & lose their nuclei.
# A stratum granulosum is present.
2) PARAKERATINIZATION (15%) :-
# In which the superficial cells retain
pyknotic nuclei & show some signs of
being keratinized.
# However, the stratum granulosum is
generally absent.
3) NON-KERATINIZATION (10%) :-
# In which the surface cells are
nucleated & show no signs of keratinization.

12. BlOOD SUPPLY:-
Blood supply of gingiva is by ALVEOLAR
ARTERY
NERVE SUPPLY:-
NERVE SUPPLY
MAXILLARY MANDIBULAR
NASOPALATINE NERVE
Inferior alveolar nerve
(Supplies facial aspect of anterior teeth)
POSTERIOR SUPERIOR ALVEOLAR
NERVE
(Supplies facial aspect of posterior teeth)
GREATER PALATINE NERVE
(Supplies lingual aspect of posterior teeth)
ANTERIOR PALATINE NERVE
(Supplies lingual aspect of anterior teeth)

13. CONTENTS:-
1) INTRODUCTION
2) TYPES OF GINGIVA
3) MICROSCOPIC FEATURES OF
GINGIVA
4) TYPES OF GINGIVAL LIGAMENT
5) DIFFERENT TYPES OF EPITHELIAL
LAYERS
6) ARTERIAL SUPPLY
7) NERVE SUPPLY
8) REFERENCES

14. REFERNECES:-
۞ Oral histology and embryology -
ORBANS
S.N.
Bhaskar
۞ Oral histology and embryology -
A.R. Ten Cate
۞ Clinical periodontology -
Caranza
Glick Man
۞ Oral pathology -
Shaffers
۞ Local Anaesthesia -
Mallamaid