title: Dimensions of the healthy gingiva and peri-implant mucosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the dimensions of the soft tissue cuff present at various aspects of teeth and to compare these dimensions to those of the mucosa surrounding single implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty volunteers were recruited that were ≥25 years of age and exhibited no signs of (i) untreated caries; (ii) loss of periodontal tissue support in the incisor, canine, and premolar regions; (iii) systemic or local disease. Furthermore, among the 50 patients recruited (iV), 27 had one single implant in the maxilla with teeth present mesial and/or distal to the implant. Probing pocket depth (PPD) and transmucosal sounding depth (TS) were assessed by five experienced, carefully calibrated examiners and with the use of a periodontal probe at the proximal (mesial, distal) and flat (facial, buccal and palatal/lingual) surfaces of all teeth/implants. The width of the keratinized mucosa (KM) was also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was demonstrated that (i) PPD and TS were greater at proximal than at flat surfaces at both tooth and implant sites. In addition, both PPD and TS were deeper at implant than at tooth sites. The TS values documented that the cuff of healthy soft tissue that surrounded a tooth varied between 2 mm at flat surfaces and 4 mm at proximal surfaces, while at implant sites, the mucosa at proximal as well as flat surfaces was 1-1.5 mm greater.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probing pocket depth (PPD) and the transmucosal sounding depth (TS) values were greater at proximal than at flat, that is, facial/palatal (lingual) surfaces at tooth sites and frequently also at implant sites. Furthermore, the PPD and the TS dimensions were greater at implant than at adjacent tooth sites.
authors.affiliation: Franci Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parpaiola
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cecchinato
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toia
authors.forename: Eriberto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bressan
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speroni
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindhe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000502:physiology*; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods; D019250:Dental Implants, Single-Tooth; D005881:Gingiva / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000502:physiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index
keywords: implants; probing depth; teeth; transmucosal sounding