Periodontium

(anatomy) The tissues surrounding a tooth.

The tissues that invest (or help to invest) and support the teeth (e.g., the gingivae, cementum of the tooth, periodontal ligament, and alveolar and supporting bone).

Structures of the periodontium. (Bird/Robinson, 2002)

The tissues that surround and support the teeth, including the gums, cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar and supporting bone. Also called alveolodental membrane, peridental membrane.

Pl. periodontia [L.] the tissues investing and supporting the teeth, including the periodontal ligament, alveolar bone and gingiva.

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The tissues of the periodontium combine to form an active, dynamic group of tissues. The alveolar bone (C) is surrounded for the most part by the subepithelial connective tissue of the gingiva, which in turn is covered by the various characteristic gingival epithelia. The cementum overlaying the tooth root (B) is attached to the adjacent cortical surface of the alveolar bone by the alveolar crest (I), horizontal (J) and oblique (K) fibers of the periodontal ligament.

Periodontium refers to the specialized tissues that both surround and support the teeth, maintaining them in the maxillary and mandibular bones. The word comes from the Greek terms peri-, meaning "around" and -odons, meaning "tooth." Literally taken, it means that which is "around the tooth". Periodontics is the dental specialty that relates specifically to the care and maintenance of these tissues.

The following four tissues make up the periodontium:

• Alveolar bone
• Cementum
• Gingiva or gums
• Periodontal ligament

v • d • e Periodontology Tissues of the periodontium and their physiologic entities Alveolar bone · Biologic width · Bundle bone · Cementum · Free gingival margin · Gingiva · Gingival fibers · Gingival sulcus · 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 Calculus · Edentulism · Fremitus · Furcation defect · Gingival enlargement · Gingival pocket · Gingivitis · Horizontal bony defect · Occlusal trauma · Periodontal pocket · Periodontal disease · Plaque · Recession · Vertical bony defect Diagnosis, treatment planning, prevention and chemotherapeutic agents Brushing · Bleeding on probing · Chlorhexidine gluconate · Enamel matrix derivative · Flossing · Hydrogen peroxide · Mouthwash · Oral hygiene · Tetracycline · Triclosan Periodontal armamentarium Curette · 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 Important personalities Per-Ingvar Brånemark · Jan Lindhe · Willoughby D. Miller · Carl E. Misch · John Mankey Riggs · Dennis P. Tarnow · James Leon Williams · W. J. Younger Other specialties Endodontology · Orthodontology · Prosthodontology

v • d • e Tooth anatomy Teeth Permanent (Incisor, Canine, Premolar, Molar)  · Deciduous Parts Enamel · Dental-enamel junction · Dentin · Pulp Periodontium Cementum · Gingiva · Periodontal ligament tooth navs: anat/dev, disease/neoplasia, proc

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