Periodontics Glossary

A now-superseded diagnostic category describing rapid, localised periodontal destruction typically affecting first molar...

The free, unattached collar of gingival tissue that surrounds the cervical portion of a tooth and forms the outer wall o...

The anatomical line that demarcates the attached gingiva from the looser, more vascular alveolar mucosa.

Surgical procedures designed to correct defects in the morphology, position, or amount of gingiva relative to the alveol...

A full-thickness surgical flap comprising both the mucosal and periosteal layers, elevated in continuity to expose the u...

A group of severe, rapidly destructive periodontal conditions characterised by necrosis of gingival tissues, interdental...

A category of gingival lesions arising from causes other than dental plaque, including genetic disorders, infections, im...

Injury to the attachment apparatus resulting from excessive or abnormal occlusal forces that exceed the adaptive capacit...

Abbreviation for Open Flap Debridement, a periodontal surgical procedure involving flap elevation for direct root surfac...

A surgical procedure in which a mucoperiosteal flap is elevated to allow direct visualisation and thorough debridement o...

The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, without i...

A mixture of cortical bone chips and blood collected during osteoplasty, used as an autogenous graft material.

An angular or crater-like resorptive lesion in the alveolar bone surrounding a tooth, classified by the number of remain...

A periodontal surgical procedure aimed at reshaping or recontouring the alveolar bone to eliminate periodontal pockets a...

The process by which a graft material provides a scaffold along which new bone cells can migrate and proliferate.

The biochemical process by which a graft material stimulates undifferentiated host cells to differentiate into bone-form...

A surgical flap design that maintains the interdental papilla intact to optimise aesthetics and reduce post-surgical tis...

A surgical or non-surgical technique aimed at restoring lost interdental gingival papillae to address black triangle def...

Any non-functional, repetitive oral activity—such as bruxism or clenching—that imposes excessive force on the periodonti...

A reversible inflammatory lesion of the soft tissues surrounding a dental implant, without loss of supporting bone beyon...

An inflammatory condition affecting the soft and hard tissues surrounding a dental implant, resulting in loss of support...

An intraoral radiographic image capturing the full length of one or more teeth, including the root apices and surroundin...

An acute, localised bacterial infection within the tissues of the periodontium, typically presenting as a fluctuant, pai...

A systematic clinical record documenting periodontal measurements — including probing depths, recession, bleeding on pro...