Gingivectomy
Pronunciation: jin-jih-VEK-tuh-mee
A periodontal surgical procedure involving the excision of the gingival wall of a periodontal pocket to eliminate the pocket and establish a healthy, maintainable gingival contour.
Full Definition
Gingivectomy was historically the primary surgical approach for pocket elimination and is still indicated in cases of gingival enlargement, suprabony pockets, and certain crown-lengthening scenarios. The procedure involves marking pocket depth with a pocket marker, making an external bevel incision at a 45° angle to the tooth surface coronal to the markings, and excising the pocket wall. Because the incision is made through external gingival tissue, the resulting wound heals by secondary intention. The technique should not be employed when the pocket base is apical to the alveolar crest, as this would require bone surgery beyond the scope of the gingivectomy incision. Editors must not confuse 'gingivectomy' with 'gingivoplasty,' which is a reshaping procedure performed for contour alone without pocket elimination.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish 'gingivectomy' (therapeutic excision of pocket wall) from 'gingivoplasty' (recontouring for form). The two procedures may be combined, and authors sometimes conflate them; editors should query when the distinction is unclear.
In Context
- "A gingivectomy was performed to address the drug-induced gingival enlargement affecting the anterior maxilla." — Surgical case report
- "The external bevel incision used in gingivectomy differs fundamentally from the internal bevel incision used in flap surgery." — Periodontal surgery textbook chapter