Woelfel’s Dental Anatomy by Rickne C. Scheid
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions from the text
Chapter 7: Periodontal Anatomy
1. Describe the traits you would expect in a person with gingival health
(versus one with gingival disease). You are looking in their mouth, and
have access to their radiographs. Use as many terms as possible used in
the chapter.
ANSWER Question 1, Chapter 7:
In the mouth, use the descriptions of gingival health presented in Table 71.
 No bleeding upon probing.
 Papillae fill gingival embrasure
 Margins are knife-edge
 Margins are scalloped; follow CEJ somewhat
 Coral pink color or with melanin
 Resilient, firm consistency
 Stippled
 No mucogingival defects
 No purulent exudate (pus)
2. A. Describe as many conditions as you can that indicate the presence of
periodontal disease. B. Also, describe conditions that may contribute to a
worsening of periodontal disease.
ANSWER Question 2, Chapter 7:
Refer to the discussion of periodontitis, and in Section IV of this chapter,
indications of periodontal disease.
A. Indicators of Periodontal Disease:
 Loss of crestal bone height
 Gingival recession
 Clinical attachment loss
 Widened periodontal ligament
 Tooth mobility
 Sulcus probe depths of over 3 mm
 Bone loss / furcation involvement
 Mucogingival defects / loss of attached gingiva
B. Conditions that may worsen periodontal disease:
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Build up and failure to remove deposits of bacterial laden plaque
and calculus over a relatively long period of time
Enamel pearls or enamel extensions near the furcation
Tooth crowding (difficulty cleaning)
Heavy occlusion
Poorly contoured restorations; open tooth contacts
Restorations that impinge too close to junctional epithelium
Teeth with short roots supporting false teeth
Palatal grooves
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