Functions of gingival fibers
- Hold the marginal gingiva against the tooth
- Provide rigidity to the marginal gingiva to withstand mastication forces
- Stabilize the marginal gingiva by uniting it with attached gingiva and tooth's cementum layer

Effects of periodontitis on gingival fibers
- Breached gingival fibers cannot regenerate
- Destruction of gingival fibers leads to increased depth of gingival sulcus
- Deeper sulcus allows more debris and bacteria to remain in contact with delicate epithelia

Types of gingival fibers
- Gingival fibers extend from cementum into attached gingiva
- Some fibers extend coronally into crest of free gingiva
- Other fibers extend horizontally over crest of alveolar bone and then apically to connect on facial aspect of buccal plate
- Dentogingival group has fibers extending towards crest, laterally, and downward along cortex of alveolar bone
- Circular group exists entirely within gingiva and doesn't contact the tooth
- Transseptal group spans interproximal tissue between adjacent teeth

Additional types of gingival fibers
- Semicircular fibers run through facial and lingual gingiva around each tooth
- Semicircular fibers attach to interproximal surfaces of the same tooth
- Transgingival fibers run between two non-adjacent teeth
- Transgingival fibers are embedded in cementum of proximal surfaces
- Transgingival fibers pass around the tooth in the middle of the two attached teeth

References
- Itoiz ME, Carranza FA (2002). The Gingiva. In Newman MG, Takei HH, Carranza FA (eds.). Carranzas Clinical Periodontology (9th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company. pp.26–7.
- Capnocytophaga sp.
- Preston D. Miller
- Willoughby D. Miller
- Carl E. Misch