The relationship between clinical crown form and gingival feature in upper anterior region

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the form of the clinical crowns in the maxillary anterior segment and the clinical feature of gingiva such as morphological characteristics and the gingival thickness. Fifty periodontally healthy subjects were clinically examined regarding the probing depth, the thickness of the free gingiva, and the width of the keratinized gingiva. From study models of the maxillary anterior region, the width at cervical third(CW) and the length(CL) of the clinical crown, the papillary height, and the gingival angle of the 6 anterior teeth were measured. Each tooth was classified into 4 groups (long-narrow, NL; narrow, N; wide, W; short-wide, WS) according to CW/CL ratio and all the data were compared between groups NL and WS using independent t-test. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed for each tooth region with the gingival thickness at the level of sulcus bottom, the width of keratinized gingiva, and gingival angle as the dependent variables.

As the results, the NL group of the upper anterior teeth displayed, higher papilla height, and narrower keratinized gingiva, more acute gingival angle resulting in pronounced "scalloped" contour of the gingival margin, compared to the WS group. There was no significant difference between groups NL and WS with respect to probing depth and the gingival thickness. The regression analyses demonstrated that the gingival thickness in central incisors was significantly associated to the mesio-distal width and bucco-lingual width of the crown, and labial probing depth. The width of keratinized gingiva was significantly associated with labial probing depth in central incisors and with proximal probing depth and gingival angle in lateral incisors, and with labial and proximal probing depth, and gingival angle in canines. The gingival angle was significantly associated with papillary height and CW/CL ratio and additionally with proximal probing depth in central incisors, with the width of keratinized gingiva in lateral incisors, and with labial probing depth and the width of keratinized gingiva in canines.

These results indicate that the form of clinical crown in upper anterior region could influence the clinical feature of gingiva and the influencing factors might be different according to the tooth region.