title: [Shape analysis of healthy gingival curve in maxillary anterior teeth in 120 Chinese youth].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the relationship of the gingival crest, the gingival curve characteristic point (inflection point, IP) and the contact points and to use it as reference to design the location of contact area in anterior teeth restoration to form the natural papillae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-dimensional gingival curve morphology analysis based on standardized digital images was done to measure the value of different points in the upper anterior teeth for 120 young Chinese.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the maxillary anterior teeth, the average mesial papilla heights(MPH) of central incisors(CI), lateral incisors(LI), canines(CA) were (4.49 ± 0.86) mm, (3.64 ± 0.77) mm and (4.12 ± 0.92) mm; the average distal gingival papilla heights(DPH) were (4.09 ± 0.72) mm, (3.48 ± 0.83) mm and (4.13 ± 0.94) mm . The relationship of the gingival curve inflection points of maxillary anterior teeth with the gingival zenith and the contact points were determined in horizontal and vertical ways. In the CI, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.61±0.10 and 0.26±0.07, in distal were 0.57±0.10 and 0.25±0.07. In the LI, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.50±0.10 and 0.23±0.08, in distal were 0.56±0.11 and 0.26±0.08. In the CA, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.52±0.09 and 0.23±0.07, the distal IP were 0.60±0.12 and 0.26±0.08.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The upper anterior teeth papillae shapes of the different teeth and gingival curves are determined with certain characteristics, and the gingival curve inflection points have some mathematical relationship with the gingival crest and the contact points.
authors: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School, Beijing, China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Di
authors: D
authors: Le
authors: Wen-jie
authors: WJ
authors: Hu
authors: Zhan-qiang
authors: ZQ
authors: Cao
authors: Yan-ling
authors: YL
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design / Q000379:methods*; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D009811:Odontometry; D012016:Reference Values; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D055815:Young Adult