stippling

(graphic arts) Graduation of shading by numerous separate touches; shadow areas on charts, for instance, are sometimes indicated by numerous dots decreasing in density as the depth increases.

1. an orange-peel appearance of the attached gingiva, believed to result from the bundles of collagen fibers that enter the connective tissue papillae. 2. a roughening of the labial and buccal surfaces of denture bases to imitate the stippling of natural gingiva.

Stippling. (Daniel/Harfst, 2002)

Dotted or pebbly-textured finish of any kind.

1. A speckling of a blood cell or other structure with fine dots when exposed to a basic stain as a result of the presence of free basophil granules in the cell protoplasm.
2. The orange-peel appearance of normal gums.

A spotted condition or appearance, such as an appearance of the retina as if dotted with light and dark points, or the spotted appearance of the erythrocytes in basophilic stippling.

• basophilic s. — see basophilic stippling.