Importance of the Mucogingival Junction and Attached Gingiva
- The mucogingival junction is important in measuring the width of attached gingiva.
- Attached gingiva is tightly bound to the underlying alveolar bone and protects the mucosa during functional use of the oral cavity.
- Without attached gingiva, the freely moveable alveolar mucosa would be prone to injury during activities like chewing and brushing.
- The width of attached tissue is critical as it provides protection to the tissue against insults.
- The width of attached gingiva is crucial for maintaining oral health.
- Sufficient attached gingiva provides protection against injury during oral functions.
- Inadequate attached gingiva increases the risk of trauma and inflammation.
Measurement of Attached Gingiva
- A periodontal probe is used to measure the width of attached gingiva.
- The probe is inserted into the gingival sulcus to determine how much keratinized gingiva is attached to the underlying bone.
- The depth of the gingival sulcus, determined by the probe, is not attached to the bone and is subtracted from the total height of keratinized tissue.
- The effective width of attached gingiva is calculated by subtracting the probing depth from the height of the keratinized gingiva.
- If the probe enters the sulcus and reaches or goes beyond the mucogingival junction, it indicates a mucogingival defect.
Clinical Significance of Attached Gingiva
- The measurement of attached gingiva helps in diagnosing and planning periodontal treatments.
- Mucogingival defects require special attention and treatment to prevent further complications.
References
- Carranzas Clinical Periodontology, W.B. Saunders 2002, page 17.
- Capnocytophaga sp.
- Preston D. Miller
- Willoughby D. Miller
- Carl E. Misch
Related Specialties
- Endodontology
- Orthodontology
- Prosthodontology
- Other specialties in dentistry
- This dentistry article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
A mucogingival junction is an anatomical feature found on the intraoral mucosa. The mucosa of the cheeks and floor of the mouth are freely moveable and fragile, whereas the mucosa around the teeth and on the palate are firm and keratinized. Where the two tissue types meet is known as a mucogingival junction.
There are three mucogingival junctions: on the facial of the maxilla and on both the facial and lingual of the mandible. The palatal gingiva of the maxilla is continuous with the tissue of the palate, which is bound down to the palatal bones. Because the palate is devoid of freely moveable alveolar mucosa, there is no mucogingival junction.
