|
Results for gum
|
On this page:
|
The firm connective tissue covered by mucous membrane that envelops the alveolar arches of the jaw and surrounds the bases of the teeth. Also called gingiva.
tr.v., gummed, gum·ming, gums.To chew (food) with toothless gums.
[Middle English gome, from Old English gōma, palate, jaw.]
The fibrous tissue covered by mucous membrane that immediately surrounds the teeth.
Vestibule and vestibular gingivae of oral cavity. A, Maxilla. B, Mandible. (Liebgott, 2001)
For more information on gum, visit Britannica.com.
1. A moderately high-density hardwood of the eastern and southern US; whitish to gray-green in color and of uniform texture; used for low-grade veneer, plywood, and rough cabinet work.
2. Any of a class of colloidal substances that are soluble or swell in water, exuded by or prepared from plants; sticky when moist.
Most teachers hate gum, but I've heard it helps a person think.
| Gingiva | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Cross-section of a tooth with visible gums, or gingiva | |
| Gray's | subject #242 1112 |
| MeSH | Gingiva |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | g_05/12390396 |
The gingiva (sing. and plur.: gingiva), or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lays over the alveolar bone.
Gingiva are part of the soft tissue lining of the mouth. They surround the teeth and provide a seal around them. Compared with the soft tissue linings of the lips and cheeks, most of the gingiva are tightly bound to the underlying bone and are designed to resist the friction of food passing over them. Healthy gingiva is usually coral pink, but may contain physiologic pigmentation. Changes in color, particularly increased redness, together with edema and an increased tendency to bleed, suggest an inflammation that is possibly due to the accumulation of bacterial plaque.
The gingiva is divided anatomically into marginal, attached and interdental areas.
The marginal gingiva is the terminal edge of gingiva surrounding the teeth in collar like fashion. In about 50% of individuals, it is demarcated from the adjacent, attached gingiva by a shallow linear depression, the free gingival groove. Usually about 1 mm wide, it forms the soft tissue wall of the gingival sulcus. The marginal gingiva is supported and stabilized by the gingival fibers.
The attached gingiva is continuous with the marginal gingiva. It is firm, resilient, and tightly bound to the underlying periosteum of alveolar bone. The facial aspect of the attached gingiva extends to the relatively loose and movable alveolar mucosa, from which it is demarcated by the mucogingival junction. Attached gingiva may present with surface stippling.
The interdental gingiva occupies the gingival embrasure, which is the interproximal space beneath the area of tooth contact. The interdental gingiva can be pyramidal or have a "col" shape.
The gingival cavity microecosystem, fueled by food residues and saliva, can support the growth of many microorganisms, of which some can be injurious to health. Improper or insufficient oral hygiene can thus lead to many gingival and periodontal disorders, including gingivitis or pyorrhea, which are major causes for tooth failure. Recent studies have also shown that Anabolic steroids are also closely associated with gingival enlargement requiring a gingivectomy for many cases.[1]
Healthy gingiva usually has a colour that has been described as "coral pink." Other colours like red, white, and blue can signify inflammation (gingivitis) or pathology. Although the text book color of gingiva is "coral pink", normal racial pigmentation makes the gingiva appear darker. Because the color of gingiva varies due to racial pigmentation, uniformity of colour is more important than the underlying color itself.
Healthy gingiva has a smooth arcuate or scalloped appearance around each tooth. Healthy gingiva fills and fits each interdental space, unlike the swollen gingiva papilla seen in gingivitis or the empty interdental embrasure seen in periodontal disease. Healthy gums hold tight to each tooth in that the gingival surface narrows to a "knife-edge" thins at the free gingival margin. On the other hand, inflamed gums have a "puffy" or "rolled" margin.
Healthy gingiva has a firm texture that is resistant to movement, and the surface texture often exhibits surface stippling. Unhealthy gingiva, on the other hand, is often swollen and mushy.
Healthy gums usually have no reaction to normal disturbance such as brushing or periodontal probing. Unhealthy gums on the other hand will show bleeding on probing (BOP) and/or purulent exudate (pus).
 Mouth (oral cavity) |
 Mouth |
| Periodontology and Implant Dentistry | |
|---|---|
| Tissues of the Periodontium and their physiologic entities |
Alveolar bone - Biologic width - Cementum - Free gingival margin - Gingiva - Gingival fibers - Junctional epithelium - Mucogingival junction - Periodontal ligament - Sulcular epithelium - Stippling |
| Pathogenesis | A. actinomycetemcomitans - B. forsythus - Capnocytophaga sp. - F. nucleatum - P. gingivalis - P. intermedia - T. denticola |
| Pathologic entities | |
| Diagnosis, Treatment planning, Prevention and Chemotherapeutic agents |
Brushing - Bleeding on probing - Chlorhexidine gluconate - Flossing - Hydrogen peroxide - Mouthwash - Oral hygiene - Tetracycline - Triclosan |
| Periodontal armamentarium | Currette - Membrane - Probe - Scaler |
| Conventional Therapy | Debridement - Scaling and root planing |
| Surgical Therapy and Periodontal surgery |
Apically positioned flap - Bone graft - Coronally positioned flap - Crown lengthening - Flap debridement - Free gingival graft - Gingivectomy - Guided bone regeneration - Guided tissue regeneration - Implant Placement - Lateral pedicle graft - Pocket reduction surgery - Sinus lift - Subepithelial connective tissue graft |
| Other specialties | Endodontology - Orthodontology - Prosthodontology |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| gum | Guar Gum |
| Mastic Gum | Spry Gum |
Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "gum" at WikiAnswers.
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gingiva". Read more |
Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!
Click here to download now. 
Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.
Mentioned In:
