The Gingival Biotype in a Cohort of Chinese Subjects With and Without History of Periodontal Disease

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the gingival biotype in Chinese subjects with and without the history of periodontal disease.

- To analyze the gingival thickness and its correlation with clinical parameters (e.g. crown morphology and periodontal conditions) in periodontally healthy subjects.
- To evaluate the gingival thickness and its correlation with gingival recession and periodontal conditions in patients with treated chronic periodontitis.
Methods: 30 periodontal healthy subjects and 20 subjects with treated chronic periodontitis were recruited. The mid-buccal gingival thickness of upper central and lateral incisors was measured by a customized caliper in all subjects. In addition, the crown length and crown width of these teeth were recorded in the healthy group, while gingival recession was measured in the periodontitis group. These outcome measures were compared among the groups and sub-groups, and the correlation between gingival biotypes and clinical parameters was analyzed.
Results: The mean thickness of gingiva in the 30 periodontally healthy subjects was 1.05±0.31mm (0.47-1.57mm). Overall, the males exhibited a greater crown length than the females (p<0.05). No significant correlation was found between gingival thickness and the CW/CL ratio (r= -0.162; p =0.440). The mean gingival thickness at the 80 measured sites from the 20 periodontitis subjects was 0.89±0.29mm(0.33-1.56mm), and it was significantly correlated with the gingival recession (r= - 0.240, p=0.032). A stronger correlation was found among the 42 sites with bleeding on probing prior to periodontal treatment (r = - 0.382, p=0.013).
Conclusions: This study shows that gingival thickness in subjects with treated periodontitis is significantly correlated with gingival recession. Further study could clarify the clinical implications of gingival biotype in managing of periodontal patients.