GINGIVA The periodontium (peri-around, dontium- tooth, greek) consists of investing and supporting tissues. The investing tissue of the periodontium is known as the GINGIVA. It is the most peripheral portion of periodontium at large. According to the Dorland Medical Dictionary, the word gingiva means the ‘gum of the mouth’. It is that part of the oral mucosa overlying the crown of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of these that have erupted, serving as the supporting structure for the subadjacent tissues. DEFINITIONS 1. CARANZA Is the part of oral mucosa that covers the alveolar processes of jaw and surrounds the neck of teeth. 2. SCHROEDER It is a combination of epithelium and connective tissue and is defined as that portion of oral mucous membrane, which in complete post- 1
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GINGIVA The periodontium (peri-around, dontium-tooth, greek) consists of
investing and supporting tissues. The investing tissue of the periodontium
is known as the GINGIVA. It is the most peripheral portion of
periodontium at large.
According to the Dorland Medical Dictionary, the word gingiva
means the ‘gum of the mouth’. It is that part of the oral mucosa overlying
the crown of unerupted teeth and encircling the necks of these that have
erupted, serving as the supporting structure for the subadjacent tissues.
DEFINITIONS
1. CARANZA
Is the part of oral mucosa that covers the alveolar processes of jaw
and surrounds the neck of teeth.
2. SCHROEDER
It is a combination of epithelium and connective tissue and is
defined as that portion of oral mucous membrane, which in complete post-
eruptive dentition of a healthy young individual, surrounds and is attached
to the teeth and the alveolar processes.
3. GRANT
Is the part of oral mucous membrane attached to the teeth and the
alveolar processes.
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4. LINDHE
Is that part of masticatory mucosa covering the alveolar processes
and the cervical portions of teeth.
FUNCTIONS
As the gingiva represents both the masticatory mucosa as well as the
most peripheral part of the periodontium, its functions are two fold.
I] As part of the oral mucosa
It protects the supporting tissues from the oral environment.
a) As part of oral mucosa, it is subjected to friction and pressure in the
masticatory process. Its densely collagenous lamina propria,
peripheral sensory innervation and keratinization help in the
adaptation to these physical requirements.
b) It is a mucostable tissues because of its firmness, scalloped contour,
close adaptation and attachment to the underlying structures.
c) Gingival tissues fulfill the functions of sensitivity and resistance.
II] As part of the periodontium
The gingiva exhibits functional properties:
a) It ensures dental arch linkage and controls the positioning of teeth in
the horizontal plane by means of its supra-alveolar fibre apparatus.
These fibres along with those of PDL secure teeth against rotational
forces and generate forces resulting in mesial drift.
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b) It maintains gingival and periodontal health by means of various
defense mechanism operating within the gingival tissues.
This peripheral defense action of gingiva has two arms:
1. The humoral arm which represents the generation of gingival
fluid.
2. The cellular arm which represents the continuous irrigation
of neutriphilic granulocytes via the junctional epithelium.
Both these arms keep a 24 hour watch on the periodontal health.
Development
Unlike, the other tissues of the periodontium which are derived from
the ectomesenchymal dental follicle, the gingiva is a derivative of
mesoderm.
According to Schroeder, the shape, topographical distribution and
width of the gingiva are functions of the presence and position of erupted
teeth.
He also says that, there are reasons to assume that the gingival
tissues exist and develop as a site specific portion of the oral mucous
membrane prior to the eruption of deciduous teeth. Thereafter, the gingiva
although increasing size serves both deciduous and permanent teeth.