Width and thickness of the gingiva in periodontally healthy individuals in a central Indian population: a cross-sectional study

Gingival thickness and gingival width in children: a cross-sectional study utilizing ultrasonography

PURPOSE

To measure the gingival phenotype-related features, gingival thickness (GT) and gingival width (GW), in healthy children and to investigate their association between them, with age, gender, tooth-type and arch.

METHODS

The gingival sites of 1029 teeth were included from 64 children (36 males and 28 females), with primary and mixed dentition, attending the paediatric dental clinic of Aristotle University, Thessaloniki. GT and GW were measured ultrasonically and with a periodontal probe, respectively. Mixed effects linear regression models were used to evaluate the association of gingival thickness and gingival width with the under-investigation parameters. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate correlation between GT and GW.

RESULTS

Significantly thicker gingiva is found in posterior teeth compared to anterior teeth, in permanent teeth versus primary teeth and in maxillary teeth in comparison to mandibular teeth (p value < 0.001). Regarding GW, significantly wider gingiva is noted in posterior regions (p value = 0.022) and the maxilla (p value < 0.001). Gender-wise and concerning age GT and GW are not significantly affected. A weak and positive correlation between GT and GW is noted (rho 0.30, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

GT and GW present significant associations with arch and tooth-type. Findings from this study fulfil the further understanding of GT and GW of paediatric patients that are investigated sparsely throughout the literature and demonstrate an accurate, painless and simple method to map the gingiva.

Cone-beam computed tomography-based investigation of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption prevalence

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PEIR) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to explore the mechanism and characteristics of PEIR development. CBCT images of patients aged ≤ 20 years with unerupted teeth at Hiroshima University Hospital were collected. We examined 1530 patients with 10,576 unerupted teeth. Teeth with PEIR were identified for the detailed location and size of the PEIR in the crown using multiplanar reconstruction. The subject and tooth prevalence rates of PEIR were 1.96% and 0.31%, respectively. The teeth that were the most commonly affected by PEIR were mandibular third molars (3.09%). The prevalence of PEIR was significantly higher in females than in males, and higher in the mandible than in the maxilla. No significant difference between in the position of PEIR within the crown was observed. Moreover, CBCT imaging revealed the onset of PEIR in one case. This study demonstrated the prevalence of PEIR and identified statistically significant sex- and location-based differences. Furthermore, one case of CBCT imaging supports the hypothesis that the onset of PEIR was due to resorption after completion of the crown.

Correlation between periodontal phenotype and sinus membrane thickness: A systematic review

AIM

To assess the correlation between the periodontal phenotype (PP) and sinus membrane thickness (SMT) in humans.

METHODS

This review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Two reviewers independently carried out electronic and manual literature searches of studies published in English, German, and Spanish, from 1970 to September 2022 in four electronic databases, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, in addition to gray literature. Studies that assessed the correlation between PP and SMT in adults (aged 18 years) were included. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) for articles that met the eligibility criteria.

RESULTS

Six studies, including 510 patients, were considered for qualitative analysis. All included studies were cross-sectional, and the correlation between the PP and SMT was evaluated, finding a positive and high correlation in 83.3% of them, based on a value of ≥0.7. All the included studies were assessed with a high overall risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Periodontal phenotype and sinus membrane thickness are likely correlated. Nevertheless, further standardized studies are required to draw definitive conclusions.

Current landmarks for gingival thickness evaluation in maxillary anterior teeth: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To identify and report the current landmarks used for measuring gingival thickness (GT) in healthy maxillary anterior teeth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The protocol of this Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020-compliant systematic review was registered in PROSPERO. A literature search was conducted to identify articles that met the eligibility criteria published up to 2022. The methods of assessing gingival thickness and the landmarks adopted on the studies were described. Primary outcomes were identified, and the frequency of reporting in the selected articles was calculated. Additionally, risk-of-bias assessments were performed for individual articles.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight articles (34 with low risk of bias and 24 with medium risk of bias) were selected. A total of 3638 individuals had their gingival thickness measured. Thirty-nine different landmarks were adopted in the studies. Fifty-six articles with 22 landmarks were included in the meta-analysis. A higher heterogeneity was found between the studies (GT ranged from 0.48 to 2.59 mm, mean GT 1.074; 95% CI: 1.024-1.104). The 3 most used landmarks were 2 mm from gingival margin (10 studies, mean GT 1.170 mm, 95% CI: 1.085-1.254), bone crest (9 studies, mean GT 1.01 mm; 95% CI: 0.937-1.083), and cemento-enamel junction (7 studies, mean GT 1.172 mm; 95% CI: 1.105, 1.239).

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limits of this study, a large heterogeneity in GT was found, and there was no consensus on the ideal landmark for GT measurement.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The landmark 2 mm from gingival margin, located at attached gingiva, can be used for GT measurement by clinical and image-based devices. This is an important step for a quantitative instead of a qualitative evaluation of phenotypes.

A Comparative Evaluation of Dentogingival Tissue Using Transgingival Probing and Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Background and Objective: Gingival biotype can be assessed using a variety of invasive and non-invasive procedures, such as direct probing, transgingival probing, ultrasound-guided approaches, and, for the more sophisticated, cone-beam computed tomography. The aim of this study was to evaluate gingival biotype in relation to transgingival probing and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: This study included a total of two hundred healthy individuals. Gingival thickness was assessed and measured from the right and left maxillary central incisor teeth using CBCT and transgingival probing of the attached gingiva. The measurements were analyzed with regard to tooth type (central incisor). Linear measurements for gingival biotype were measured using both methods. Correlations and differences between measurement methods were assessed. Results: The mean age of study participants was 32.49 ± 8.61 years. The radiographic measurements on CBCT were 1.34 ± 0.17 mm for the right central and 1.28 ± 0.21mm for the left central. The transgingival probing measurements were 1.31 ± 0.18 for the right central and 1.22 ± 0.21mm for the left central. Conclusion: As per the results of this study, there is a significant positive correlation between transgingival probing and CBCT measurements of gingival biotypes.