Periodontics · patient case with 1 question
Intraoral photograph showing very slight gingival inflammation
Scenario: An intraoral photograph in profile showing VERY SLIGHT GINGIVITIS.
Question 1
What is the periodontal diagnosis?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Gingivitis
- A. Correct. GINGIVITIS is inflammation confined to the gingiva with NO attachment loss and NO bone loss. It is fully REVERSIBLE with plaque control. A photograph showing only mild marginal erythema and oedema, without probing or radiographic evidence of attachment loss, supports gingivitis.
- B. Periodontitis — at any stage — requires demonstrable INTERDENTAL CLINICAL ATTACHMENT LOSS, which cannot be established from a photograph alone.
- C. 'Aggressive periodontitis' was RETIRED in the 2018 world workshop classification. That presentation is now described as periodontitis, Stage III or IV, GRADE C (molar-incisor pattern).
- D. Peri-implantitis requires the presence of a dental IMPLANT with inflammation and progressive bone loss around it.
Note: The 2018 classification of gingival health and gingivitis: LOCALIZED gingivitis is 10-30% of bleeding sites; GENERALIZED gingivitis is more than 30%; under 10% is clinical gingival health.