Periodontitis

Question 1

What does healthy gingival colour look like?

Answer 1

• Uniform and consistent
• Pigmentation
• Salmon pink/pale pink

Gingival colour varies according to vascularity, melanin pigmentation and thickness of the epithelium

Question 2

What does healthy gingival contour look like?

Answer 2

• Gingival margin is 1–2 mm coronal to the CEJ
• Knife-edged and flat
• Follows a curved line around the tooth
• Gingiva adheres closely to the tooth

Question 3

What does healthy gingival consistency/texture look like?

Answer 3

• Free gingiva is smooth
• Resilient and firm
• Attached gingiva may be stippled

Question 4

What does healthy interdental papilla look like?

Answer 4

• Pointed
• Pyramidal
• Fills the interdental space

Question 5

List some changes in colour

Answer 5

• Reddened
• Bright red
• Dark red/blueish red/purple

Bright redness indicates acute inflammation, whereas darker redness indicates chronic inflammation

Question 6

List some changes in contour and texture

Answer 6

• Shiny
• Smooth
• Rounded
• Rolled
• Fibrotic: tissue is firm but not resilient (may be due to previous periodontal disease, medications or smoking)

Question 7

List some changes in interdental papilla

Answer 7

• Blunted
• Cratered
• Swollen
• Enlarged
• Loss of interdental papilla