Gingival esthetics

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INTRODUCTION
Esthetics -
The artist Albrecht Dürer, from the XVI century, wrote:
“ I don’t know what beauty is, but I do know it affects many
things in life”,
and considered that, although the concept of facial beauty is
immersed in subjectivity, the evaluation of facial proportions could be
objectively performed.

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classification
smile esthetics depends on a number of factors, among which
are the display and architecture of apparent gingival tissue
and its contour, phenotype, zenith position and presence of
interdental papilla.
Máyra Reis Seixas, Roberto Amarante Costa-Pinto, Telma Martins de Araújo,
Gingival esthetics: An orthodontic and periodontal approach-special article
Dental Press J Orthod. 2012 Sept-Oct;17(5):190-201

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Sarver and Ackerman, divided it into three
sections:
1) Microesthetics - which includes the dental aspect, considering the
arrangement of teeth on the arches, their color, shape, dimensions
and proportions.
2) Miniesthetics - which includes smile esthetics, how teeth are
exposed and perceived in smile dynamics, specially its relation with
the lips.
3) Macroesthetics - which refers to the face, its harmony and
proportions, and the esthetic impact of the several structures in its
composition

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Finishing procedures in Orthodontics: dental dimensions and proportions (microesthetics)
Roberto Carlos Bodart Brandão,Larissa Bustamente,Capucho Brandão

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The orthodontic mechanics necessary to correct the occlusion is
generally not complicated, but it is often difficult to produce a
successful esthetic result.
In some situations, the unesthetic appearance is related to the
irregular crown length of the remaining teeth. The irregular
appearance of the maxillary incisors can be improved by altering
the clinical crown lengths and gingival contours of the affected
teeth during orthodontic treatment.
Gingival contour and clinical crown length: Their effect on the esthetic appearance oj’ maxillary anterior teeth,
Vincent G. Kokich, D.D.S., M.S.D.,* Dennis L. Nappen, D.D.S., M.S.D.,and Peter A. Shapiro, D.D.S., M.S.D.*
Smttle, Wush.

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Smile esthetics depends on number of factors
Vital elements of smile designing (dental composition)
1. Tooth components
a) Dental midline
b) Incisal lengths
c) Tooth dimensions
d) Zenith points
e) Axial inclinations
f) Interdental contact area (ICA) and point (ICP)
g) Incisal embrasure
h) Sex, personality and age
i) Symmetry and balance

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2. Soft tissue components
a) Gingival health
b) Gingival levels and harmony
c) Interdental embrasure
d) Smile line
e) zenith position
Principles of smile design, Mohan Bhuvaneswaran
Journal of Conservative Dentistry | Oct-Dec 2010 | Vol 13 | Issue 4

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IDEAL GINGIVAL ESTHETIC CONTOUR
The appearance of the gingival contour follows the underlying
bone architecture and is influenced primarily by factors such as
tooth position, type of periodontium, tooth form, and design of
the CEJ.
In a clinically healthy periodontium, the gingival contour
forms and invests the CEJ.

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 The contour of the gingival margins of the six
maxillary anterior teeth plays an important role in
smile esthetics and is determined by the following
features
 the gingival margins of the central incisors should be
on the same level, furthermore, they should position
themselves more apically to the margins of the lateral
incisors and remain on the same level of the margins
of the canines.

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 The contour of the gingival margins must coincide
with the CEJs of the teeth, and each tooth must
have a gingival papilla that occupies the interdental
embrasure.
 The gingival margin of the lateral incisor is 0.5–
2.0 mm below that of the central incisors.
Principles of smile design, Mohan Bhuvaneswaran
Journal of Conservative Dentistry | Oct-Dec 2010 | Vol 13 | Issue 4

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 Kokich, Nappen and Shapiro established the
parameters that gingival contour, with the
gingival margin of canines and upper central
incisors at the same level, and the margin of
upper lateral incisors 1 mm below those.

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The studies carried out by King et al, showed the
preference of dentists, orthodontists and laypeople
for the incisal edge of the lateral incisors always
being above the incisal plane, on average 0.5 mm, not
exceeding 1 mm.
This is the pattern used in Orthodontics, with the
contour of the incisal edges of the upper anterior
teeth following the curvature of the lower lip on the
smile.

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 when the height of the gingival margin of the lateral
incisors is positioned more than 2 mm above the gingival
margin of the central incisors and canines, smile
esthetics is said to be compromised.
 Kokich also suggests that patients with gingival contour discrepancies
and low smile line require no correction as this condition is not seen as
esthetically relevant.

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According to Kokich, the closer to the
midline gingival contour asymmetries are
located, the more easily these asymmetries
will be identified as less esthetic by
orthodontists, GPs and laypersons alike.

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Interdental papillae
 Interdental papillae form the gingival tissue that fills the space
between adjacent teeth.
 These papillae are influenced by the distance and inclination between
teeth, alveolar bone height and anatomical form of clinical crowns, with
the latter determining interproximal contact point height.

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 Factors determining the presence and form of the papillae: A, B) Distance and
inclination between the teeth; (D) triangular form of the clinical crown, (C) alveolar bone
crest height.

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Papillae can be observed in regions at
distance of less than or equal to 5 mm
between the alveolar bone crest and the
contact point.
 Tarnow, Magner and Fletcher showed that the interdental papilla is
present in 98% of the cases in which the cervical limit of the
interdental contact is located up to 5 mm from the alveolar bone
crest.

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 When the distance from the contact point to the bone crest is of 6 mm, there
is nearly 50% of chance of black space
 and with 7 mm of distance, the presence of interdental papilla filling the
space is found in only 27% of the cases.
 Therefore, it is possible to predict the appearance of black interdental
spaces, which are especially common in patients with triangular teeth, when
severe crowding is corrected or when there is bone loss by periodontitis .

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 The loss of the papillae as a sequela of periodontal disease or
iatrogenic dental procedures causes the formation of “dark spaces” that
interfere negatively in the perception of smile esthetics.
 Orthodontics has used the procedure of interdental wear/ IPR for
the closure of these spaces, changing the dental shape and, thus,
approximating the contact point of teeth and the alveolar bone crest.
This procedure, extremely common among orthodontists,

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But, may lead to other undesirable esthetic consequences.
Interdental wear changes two determinants of esthetics:
1) height/width proportion of the crowns, possibly generating excessively
narrow teeth, and
2) increase in the height of the contact point, breaking the golden ratio of
the smooth reduction in the distal direction.

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 The height of the central incisor varies from 10.4 to 11.2 mm
while its width varies from 8.73 to 9.3 mm.
 Most authors define the height/width ratio of 0.80 for the upper
central incisor (which represents the key tooth to esthetical
composition of the smile) as a standard to be used in Prosthesis,
Periodontics and Orthodontics.
height/width proportion of the crown

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The golden ratio is applied to the height of the contact points of
the anterior teeth.
The contact point between central incisors must correspond to
50% of the height of the crown of these teeth, and must
gradually distally reduce, turning into 40% of this height at the
contact point between central and lateral incisors, and 30% of
this height at the contact point between lateral incisor and
canine
contact point

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 Distances of less than 0.3 mm between roots result in a reduction
of the proximal bone, a condition often accompanied by an absence
of interdental papilla.
 Moreover, large interradicular spaces, e.g., diastemas, are usually
associated with short, flattened papillae.

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Zenith
 The gingival zenith is the highest point of the
gingival contour curvature, and may vary
significantly in anterior teeth.
 Sarver presents as norm that the ideal position of the apex of the gingival
contour of the lateral incisor would be in the center of the crowns, along
the long axis of the tooth; while it is distally displaced on the central incisor
and canine.

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In recent research, Chu et al. quantified
the position of the gingival zenith of
upper anterior teeth in a periodontally
healthy population,
1 mm distal to the line that divides the
middle of the crown, following the long
axis of the tooth, on the upper central
incisor &
0.4 mm distal to the line that divides the
middle of the crown, following the long
axis of the lateral incisor
and at the center of the line that
represents the long axis of the upper
canine

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 The zenith can be orthodontically defined by the position of the
bracket bonded to the upper anterior teeth or second-order bends on
orthodontic wires, also known as artistic bends that define the
mesiodistal tippings of these teeth.
 On the other hand, if we consider the mesiodistal angulation patterns
which are used for the anterior teeth, the greatest tipping is established
for the lateral incisors and canines which have the zenith less distally
displaced if compared to the central incisor.

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The limit of what is esthetically pleasant for zenith deviations, in relation
to the center of the upper central incisor, seems to be 2 mm, coinciding
with a mesial tipping of 10 degrees from the long axis of these teeth.
Maximum symmetry on the placement of the zenith is recommended,
specially on the upper central incisors due to the proximity established
between them as well as to the facial midline.

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DISCREPANCIES IN GINGIVAL ESTHETIC CONTOURS
Changes in gingival contour may be located either coronally or apically relative to
CEJ, and can be addressed in various manners, by -
» Orthodontic movement, intruding or extruding the teeth involved.
» Resective gingival surgery to lengthen the clinical crown (gingivectomy
or gingivoplasty).
» Resective bone surgery to lengthen the clinical crown.

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Planning and selecting the best option to correct the problem depends
on several factors-
1) Sulcus depth on probing,
2) Location of CEJ relative to the bone level,
3) Crown-root relationship between the teeth involved,
4) Root form and degree of gingival,
5) Display on smiling.

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1. Compensatory dental extrusion
Compensatory dental extrusion is one of the conditions that alter the
gingival contour.
 It tends to occur as a result of wear and/or fracture of the incisal edge of
anterior teeth, which extrude and carry with them the entire periodontal
tissues.
 It affects adult patients who usually present with poor horizontal and
vertical relationship between the dental arches.

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In these cases,
1) the anterior teeth extrude and carry with them the periodontal
tissues.
Orthodontic leveling of the gingival margins and subsequent restoration of
the incisal portion of the teeth- The key purpose of this approach is to level
the CEJ.
 This procedure is more conservative and biological but requires the use of
a fixed orthodontic appliance and longer treatment and retention times.

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A, B) Patient nearing completion of orthodontic treatment, showing uneven gingival contour in upper
anterior region, and wear of incisal edges of teeth 12, 11 and 21
C) provisional composite resin restorations established a new incisal silhouette and new anatomical
proportions for these teeth
D) rebonding of brackets taking as reference the apical gingival margin of incisors
1

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E, F) leveling of gingival margins of upper anterior region by extrusion and
ameloplasty of tooth 22

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G, H, I) final esthetic appearance after dentogingival leveling of the case.

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A-D) Inverted gingival contour between maxillary central and lateral incisors.
Periodontal probing in the final stages of orthodontic treatment, showing gingival
increases in teeth 11 and 21
3

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E) Intrusion and gingivectomy of 11 and 21
F) simulation of reconstruction of silhouette through restoration of incisal edges of teeth 11 and 21
G) uneven initial gingival contour, esthetic improvement of upper anterior region
H) after harmonizing gingival contour, incisal silhouette and dental ratio.

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Other procedure
 The main objective of this procedure is to restore clinical crown height
lost at the expense of marginal periodontal tissue by means of resective
techniques and apical repositioning.
2) Clinical crown lengthening surgery
with osteotomy.

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Altered passive eruption
Gottlieb and Orban described two phases of tooth eruption. The active
phase of eruption is defined by emerging motion of the tooth on the
occlusal direction until the tooth reaches the occlusal plane of its
antagonist
This process is accompanied by passive eruption, which is the apical
migration of the soft tissues, with gradual exposure of the crown of the
tooth.
Prevalence of Altered Passive Eruption in Orthodontically Treated and
Untreated Patients,
Jose Nart, Neus Carrio´ ,Cristina Valles,Carols Solı´s-Moreno, Maria Nart, Ramon Ren˜e´ ,Cristina Esquinas,§ and
Andreu Puigdollersi
J Periodontol • November 2014, Volume 85 • Number 11

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APE cases usually involve young patients presenting with intact anterior
incisal edges and undesirable width/height dimensions. The orthodontist is
responsible for properly diagnosing this condition and treatment planning
should invariably involve cooperation by a periodontist to ensure gingival
esthetics.

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According to Garber and Salama, APE can be classified based on the
amount of keratinized gingival -
Type 1: Wide band of keratinized gingiva,
Type 2: Narrow band of keratinized gingiva, and also subclassified according to
the relationship between the CEJ and alveolar bone crest:
» Subgroup A:
The distance between the alveolar bone crest and
the CEJ is greater than or equal to 1 mm, therefore sufficient for
the connective tissue attachment. In this subgroup, in
Type I cases, gingivectomy can solve the problem, while in
Type II cases, a flap displaced apically is indicated.

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» Subgroup B: The distance between the alveolar bone crest and the
CEJ is less than 1 mm, therefore insufficient for the connective tissue
attachment.
In these cases, osteotomy is necessary to establish correct biological
distances.

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 Many patients present with APE in all anterior teeth and their chief
complaint is excessive gingival display on smiling, which characterizes
“gummy smile.”
 When there is a combination of vertical maxillary excess in its
etiology - which would require ortho-surgical treatment – these issues
can be fully addressed with periodontal surgery (clinical crown
lengthening), with a considerable impact on smile esthetics and on
patient satisfaction with the treatment outcome.

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 Many patients often find it difficult to maintain proper oral hygiene during the
course of orthodontic treatment.
 Moreover, given the presence of orthodontic brackets, a reduction occurs in
the self cleaning process effected by the lips and cheeks, also contributing to
the emergence of gingival inflammation, with isolated or widespread increases
in probing depths.
 Regardless of how satisfactorily one succeeds in leveling and aligning the
teeth, and in achieving functional occlusion, smile esthetics is never entirely
satisfactory after removal of the orthodontic appliance.

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Often, however, one can restore oral hygiene to optimum levels
after appliance removal, thereby reducing gingival enlargement in
these cases.
Thirty to sixty days after removal of the orthodontic appliance,
should gingival enlargement persist in some regions, the
periodontist should intervene surgically to correct these pseudo
pockets.

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Gingival recession
 Gingival recession is a frequent complaint among patients, and
adversely affects gingival contour esthetics by rendering it less attractive.
 The negative correlation between orthodontic tooth movement and loss
of gingival attachment has been extensively reported.

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In these cases, orthodontic movement can be performed as usual, but
greater care should be exercised regarding biofilm control, in addition to
implementing a correct, non-traumatic brushing technique.
In orthodontic patient, the presence of etiologic factors of gingival
recession, i.e.,inflammation caused by biofilm and/ or tooth brushing
trauma.
When tooth movements are made toward the cortical bone, bone
dehiscences may result.

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 however, is that moving teeth in medullary directions often induces bone
formation in areas of dehiscence.
 the existence of gingival recession prior to the start of orthodontic
treatment will require periodontal surgery for root coverage before
starting to move teeth that present with gingival recession
 Classical studies in animals showed bone formation in areas of bone
dehiscence after tooth movement in medullary directions.

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Gingival recession and buccal positioning of tooth 32’s root
(A, B) reduced recession after orthodontically moving root to correct
position in alveolar bone (C, D).

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CONCLUSIONS
Microesthetics must not be seen in isolation, but as the key to achieve
a pleasant smile (miniesthetics) and a harmonious face
(macroesthetics).
The greatest concern must always be the patient, with his desires not
only granted, but overcome by the professional. Our concerns and
actions are measured in millimeters, but can make all the difference to
people’s quality of life. To raise one’s self-esteem by means of
integrated dental treatment could be considered an objective, that
may be referred to as “hyper-esthetics”

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1. Máyra Reis Seixas, Roberto Amarante Costa-Pinto, Telma Martins de Araújo, Gingival
esthetics: An orthodontic and periodontal approach-special article
2. Finishing procedures in Orthodontics: dental dimensions and proportions (microesthetics)
3. Gingival contour and clinical crown length: Their effect on the esthetic appearance oj’
maxillary anterior teeth, Vincent G. Kokich, D.D.S., M.S.D.,* Dennis L. Nappen, D.D.S.,
M.S.D.,and Peter A. Shapiro, D.D.S., M.S.D.*
Smttle, Wush.
4. Prevalence of Altered Passive Eruption in Orthodontically Treated and
Untreated Patients, Jose Nart, Neus Carrio´ ,Cristina Valles,Carols Solı´s-Moreno, Maria
Nart, Ramon Ren˜e´ ,Cristina Esquinas,§ and Andreu Puigdollersi
J Periodontol • November 2014, Volume 85 • Number 11
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