Abstract

This investigation evaluated the gingival condition of areas with minimal (less than or equal to 1.0 millimeter) and appreciable (greater than or equal to 2.0 millimeters) widths of keratinized gingiva.

Sixteen dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting students and dental faculty who had contralateral or unilateral areas of minimal and appreciable widths of keratinized gingiva on the mid-buccal surface of mandibular bicuspids were examined. Gingival exudate, plaque, gingival inflammation based on color change and/or swelling and bleeding on probing were evaluated. The results showed that all areas examined were plaque free. Three of 32 areas showed clinical gingival inflammation and there was no statistically significant difference in gingival exudate scores between areas of minimal and appreciable widths of keratinized gingiva.

From the group of 16, five subjects were selected who had contralateral pairs of minimal and appreciable keratinized gingiva. They were instructed to cease oral hygiene in the lower bicuspid area for 25 days. At day 0, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, and 25, gingival exudate, plaque, and clinical gingival inflammation based on color change and/or swelling were evaluated. Results revealed that all areas showed similar increases in plaque and gingival exudate scores over the 25 day period with no apparent difference between the areas with minimal keratinized gingiva and areas with appreciable keratinized gingiva. Five of the areas with minimal width of keratinized gingiva and three of the five areas with appreciable width of keratinized gingiva exhibited clinical gingival inflammation at the end of the 25 day period.

LLU Discipline

Periodontics

Department

Periodontics

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Jan H. Egelberg

Second Advisor

W. Eugene Rathbun

Third Advisor

Max Z. Crigger

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1976

Date (Title Page)

6-1976

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Gingival Diseases; Gingivitis

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 39

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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