Gingival Index
Also written as: GI — Gingival Index
A standardized scoring system developed by Löe and Silness (1963) to assess the severity of gingival inflammation at individual tooth sites on a 0–3 scale.
Full Definition
The Gingival Index (GI), introduced by Löe and Silness, is one of the most widely cited measures of gingival health in periodontal research. Each of four sites per tooth (mesial, distal, buccal, lingual) is scored from 0 (normal gingiva) to 3 (severe inflammation with spontaneous bleeding), producing a mean score per tooth and per subject. Editors should be alert to the distinction between the Gingival Index and the Plaque Index (PI), which are companion instruments developed by the same authors but measure different phenomena (inflammation vs. plaque accumulation). The index name should be capitalised and the originating author citation included on first use in a research article.
Usage
Usage note: Always cite the originating publication (Löe & Silness, 1963) and capitalise 'Gingival Index' when referring to the specific validated instrument. Distinguish clearly from 'bleeding on probing', which is a dichotomous measure.
In Context
- "Gingival inflammation was assessed using the Gingival Index (GI) of Löe and Silness (1963) at four sites per tooth." — Clinical study methods section
- "The text refers to 'GI scores' without specifying which gingival index was used; the original Löe–Silness reference should be added." — Peer-review editorial comment