Periodontal Tissues In Health

Question 1

What is the peridontium?

Answer 1

The supporting apparatus of the tooth

Question 2

What does the periodontium consist of?

Answer 2

Gingiva, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, cementum

Question 3

What are the clinical features of healthy gingiva?

Answer 3

Pink, stippled, knife-edged margin, scalloped profile

Question 4

What is the function of gingiva?

Answer 4

Provides attachment between oral mucous membranes and the dental hard tissues
Protects the underlying periodontal tissues from invasion by bacteria

Question 5

What makes up the gingival epithelium?

Answer 5

Junctional epithelium, sulcular (crevicular) epithelium, oral gingival epithtelium

Question 6

What does the Junctional epithelium do?

Answer 6

Forms attachment of the gingiva to the tooth surface by means of hemi-desmosomes and internal basal lamina

Question 7

What is the crevicular epithelium?

Answer 7

Stratified squamous non-keratinised epithelium

Lines the gingival crevice but is not attached to the tooth surface

Question 8

What is the oral gingival epithelium?

Answer 8

Stratified squamous, keratinised epithelium

Question 9

What 4 things is the gingival connective issue composed of?

Answer 9

Collagen fibres embedded in an extra cellular matrix, fibroblasts, blood vessels and nerve cells

Question 10

What do fibroblasts secrete?

Answer 10

The extracellular matrix including collagen fibres and MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases)

Question 11

What does the alveolar bone proper consist of?

Answer 11

A thin lamella of bone that surrounds the root of the tooth

Question 12

What does the alveolar bone proper do?

Answer 12

Gives attachment to the principal fibres of the periodontal ligament

Question 13

What is cancellous bone?

Answer 13

It is a spongy bone consisting of widely spaced concentric or transverse lamella enclosing the marrow spaces

Question 14

What does cancellous bone do?

Answer 14

It surrounds the alveolar bone proper an gives support to the socket

Question 15

What cell is involved with bone resorption?

Answer 15

Osteoclasts

Question 16

What cells are involved in bone deposition?

Answer 16

Osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells

Question 17

What is cementum?

Answer 17

Calcified mesenchymal tissue that covers the entire root surface

Question 18

Name the two types of cementum.

Answer 18

Acellular and cellular

Question 19

Which type of cementum contains cementocytes?

Answer 19

Cellular cementum

Question 20

What does unhealthy gingiva look like?

Answer 20

Red, swollen, loss of stippling, bleeding on brushing

Question 21

What is gingivitis?

Answer 21

Inflammation of the gingival tissues due to the build up of plaque, it is totally reversible

Question 22

How do you treat gingivitis?

Answer 22

Patient education and motivation, OHI, removal of plaque and plaque-retentive factors

Question 23

Name 5 things that be used for interdental cleaning.

Answer 23

Dental floss, dena tape, interdental sticks, interdental brushes, single-tufted brush

Question 24

What are some plaque-retentive factors?

Answer 24

Calculus, poor restoration margins, tooth position/angulation, developmental anomalies/grooves, dentures, orthodontic appliances, xerostomia

Question 25

What is periodontitis?

Answer 25

Inflammatory condition resulting in the irreversible loss of the tooth supporting structures, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone

Question 26

What % of adults in the UK have chronic periodontitis?

Answer 26

10-12%

Question 27

What are some risk factors for periodontitis?

Answer 27

Poor oral hygiene, poorly controlled diabetes, smoking, stress

Question 28

List some of the clinical presentations associated with periodontitis.

Answer 28

Formation of periodontal pockets, bleeding on probing, drifting of teeth, tooth mobility, gingival recession, usually painless

Question 29

How does periodontitis present on a radiograph?

Answer 29

Loss of alveolar bone more than 1.5mm apical to the CEJ

Question 30

How do you treat periodontitis?

Answer 30

Patient education and motivation, OHI, smoking cessation, removal of plaque-retentive factors, non-surgical periodontal treatment