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The gingiva (sing. and plur.
English plural

In the English language, nouns are inflection for grammatical number?that is, Grammatical number or plural. This article discusses the variety of ways in which English plurals are formed....
: gingiva), or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the alveolar bone.

iva are part of the soft tissue lining of the mouth. They surround the teeth and provide a seal around them. Compared with the soft tissue linings of the lips and cheeks, most of the gingiva are tightly bound to the underlying bone and are designed to resist the friction of food passing over them.






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The gingiva (sing. and plur.
English plural

In the English language, nouns are inflection for grammatical number?that is, Grammatical number or plural. This article discusses the variety of ways in which English plurals are formed....
: gingiva), or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the alveolar bone.

General description

Gingiva are part of the soft tissue lining of the mouth. They surround the teeth and provide a seal around them. Compared with the soft tissue linings of the lips and cheeks, most of the gingiva are tightly bound to the underlying bone and are designed to resist the friction of food passing over them. Healthy gingiva is usually coral pink, but may contain physiologic pigmentation. Changes in color, particularly increased redness, together with edema
Edema

File:Oedema.jpgEdema or Oedema , formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body....
 and an increased tendency to bleed, suggest an inflammation
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 that is possibly due to the accumulation of bacterial plaque
Dental plaque

Dental plaque is biofilm that builds up on the teeth. If not removed regularly, it can lead to dental cavities or periodontal problems .The microorganisms that form the biofilm are almost entirely bacteria , with the composition varying by location in the mouth....
.

Subdivisions of gingiva

The gingiva is divided anatomically into marginal, attached and interdental areas.

Marginal gingiva

The marginal gingiva is the terminal edge of gingiva surrounding the teeth in collar like fashion. In about 50% of individuals, it is demarcated from the adjacent, attached gingiva by a shallow linear depression, the free gingival groove. Usually about 1 mm wide, it forms the soft tissue wall of the gingival sulcus
Gingival sulcus

The gingival sulcus is an area of potential space between a tooth and the surrounding gingiva and is lined by sulcular epithelium. The depth of the sulcus is bounded by two entities: Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry by the gingival fibers of the connective tissue attachment and Commonly used terms of relatio...
. The marginal gingiva is supported and stabilized by the gingival fibers
Gingival fibers

The gingival fibers are the connective tissue fibers that attach a tooth to the gingiva. They are primarily composed to type I collagen, although type III fibers are also involved....
.

Attached gingiva

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, from which it is demarcated by the mucogingival junction
Mucogingival junction

The mucogingival junction is the interface between the more Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry alveolar mucosa and the more Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry gingiva of the gingiva....
. Attached gingiva may present with surface stippling
Stippling (dentistry)

The gingiva often possess a textured surface that is referred to as being stippled. Stippling only presents on the attached gingiva bound to underlying alveolar bone, not the freely moveable alveolar mucosa....
.

Interdental gingiva

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 have a "col
Mountain pass

In a range of hills, or especially of mountain range, a pass is a saddle point in between two areas of higher elevation. If following the lowest possible route through a mountain range, a pass is locally the highest point on that route....
" shape.

Diseases of the gingiva

The gingival cavity microecosystem
Microecosystem

Microecosystems can exist in locations which are precisely defined by critical Natural environment factors within small or tiny spaces.Such factors may include temperature, pH, chemical milieu, nutrient supply, presence of symbionts or solid substrates, gaseous atmosphere etc....
, fueled by food residues and saliva, can support the growth of many microorganisms, of which some can be injurious to health. Improper or insufficient oral hygiene
Oral hygiene

Teeth cleaning is the removal of dental plaque from teeth, in order to prevent Dental caries , gingivitis, and Periodontal disease. It is part of a complete program of oral hygiene....
 can thus lead to many gingival and periodontal disorders, including gingivitis
Gingivitis

Gingivitis around the teeth is a general term for gingival diseases affecting the gingiva . As generally used, the term gingivitis refers to gingival inflammation induced by bacterial biofilms adherent to tooth surfaces....
 or pyorrhea
Periodontal disease

Periodontitis refers to a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the periodontium ? that is, the tissues that surround and support the tooth....
, which are major causes for tooth failure. Recent studies have also shown that Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroid

Anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids , are a class of steroid hormones related to the hormone testosterone. They increase Protein biosynthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of Cell tissue , especially in muscles....
s are also closely associated with gingival enlargement requiring a gingivectomy for many cases.

Characteristics of healthy gingiva


Color

Healthy gingiva usually has a color that has been described as "coral pink." Other colours like red, white, and blue can signify inflammation (gingivitis
Gingivitis

Gingivitis around the teeth is a general term for gingival diseases affecting the gingiva . As generally used, the term gingivitis refers to gingival inflammation induced by bacterial biofilms adherent to tooth surfaces....
) or pathology. Although the text book color of gingiva is "coral pink", normal racial pigmentation makes the gingiva appear darker. Because the color of gingiva varies due to racial pigmentation, uniformity of color is more important than the underlying color itself.

Contour

Healthy gingiva has a smooth arcuate
Arcuate

Arcuate can refer to:* Arcuate delta, a type of river delta* Arcuate fasciculus* Arcuate line* Arcuate nucleus* Arcuate nucleus * Internal arcuate fiber and external arcuate fibers of the brain...
 or scalloped appearance around each tooth. Healthy gingiva fills and fits each interdental space, unlike the swollen gingiva papilla seen in gingivitis or the empty interdental embrasure seen in periodontal disease. Healthy gums hold tight to each tooth in that the gingival surface narrows to "knife-edge" thin at the free gingival margin
Free gingival margin

The free gingival margin is the interface between the sulcular epithelium and the epithelium of the Mouth . This interface exists at the most Commonly used terms of relationship and comparison in dentistry point of the gingiva, otherwise known as the crest of the marginal gingiva....
. On the other hand, inflamed gums have a "puffy" or "rolled" margin.

Texture

Healthy gingiva has a firm texture that is resistant to movement, and the surface texture often exhibits surface stippling
Stippling (dentistry)

The gingiva often possess a textured surface that is referred to as being stippled. Stippling only presents on the attached gingiva bound to underlying alveolar bone, not the freely moveable alveolar mucosa....
. Unhealthy gingiva, on the other hand, is often swollen and mushy.

Reaction to disturbance

Healthy gums usually have no reaction to normal disturbance such as brushing or periodontal probing. Unhealthy gums on the other hand will show bleeding on probing
Bleeding on probing

Bleeding on probing is a term used by dentists when referring to bleeding that is induced by gentle manipulation of the tissue at the depth of the gingival sulcus, or interface between the gingiva and a tooth....
 (BOP
Bop

BOP or bop may refer to:* bop, a Smacking, Strike , or Punch *bop, a style to dance solo to Rockabilly or Blues music, Common since to 50s till today...
) and/or purulent exudate (pus
Pus

Pus is a whitish-yellow, yellow or yellow-brown substance produced during inflammatory pyogenic bacteriuml infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess....
).

Additional images


See also

  • Head and neck anatomy
    Head and neck anatomy

    Head and neck anatomy focuses on the structures of the head and neck of the human body, including the brain, bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, glands, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, and throat....
  • Periodontitis
  • Gum graft
    Gum graft

    A gingival graft is a generic name for any of a number of surgical periodontal procedures whose combined aim is to cover an area of exposed tooth surface with Medical grafting oral tissue....


Sources

  • Willmann, Donald. PERI 5081 - Freshman Periodontics. UTHSCSA, 2006. 2.3.1


External links