Assessment of gingival phenotype - A key determinant for treatment planning using two different methods

The term gingival phenotype was developed to reflect the common clinical finding of notable variation in the degree of thickness and width of keratinized tissue. The thickness of the gingiva in the faciopalatal/faciolingual dimension is known as gingival biotype. Reduced gingival thickness is one factor that may contribute to a patient's marginal tissue recession and loss of periodontal attachment, which is a serious concern for the progression of periodontal disease. Gingival biotypes might have a thin, scalloped appearance or be broad and flat. Gingival thickness less than 1.5 mm is referred to as thin tissue biotype, while gingival thickness more than 2 mm is referred to as thick tissue biotype. Gingival biotypes can be assessed directly by eye, with the use of a periodontal probe, or directly by measuring with calipers, endodontic spreaders, and endodontic files. A number of invasive and non-invasive methods have been proposed for measuring tissue thickness; these include direct measurement, ultrasound devices, transparency (TRANSP) of the periodontal probe through the gingival sulcus, transgingival probing method (TRANS), and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. This study includes the changes in the gingival thickness in the gingival recession patients preoperatively and postoperatively.