Gingival phenotype and its relationship with different clinical parameters: a study in a Dominican adult sample

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of thin and thick gingival phenotype (GPh) in a sample of Dominican subjects and correlate it with clinical parameters.

One-hundred seven periodontal healthy volunteers in the range of 18-73 years were enrolled in the study. GPh was defined by the transparency of a periodontal probe through the buccal gingival margin on the upper right or left central incisor. Clinical periodontal parameters such as keratinized gingiva width (WKG), attached gingiva width (WAG), probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI) were recorded by a calibrated examiner. Frequency distribution of qualitative variables was calculated. For quantitative variables, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparison of groups.

There was no association between GPh and sex. There were no significant differences between thin and thick GPh regarding age, PD, GI, and interproximal index. The association between tooth morphology and GPh was significant (p = 0.018). Median amount of keratinized gingiva was significantly larger (p = 0.01) in subjects with thin gingival phenotype (median = 6.00 mm) when compared with subjects with thick gingival phenotype (median = 5 mm).

Subjects with thin GPh presented larger WKG. Furthermore, there was an association between tooth morphology and GPh.

This is the first study to report the distribution of gingival phenotype and its relationship with different periodontal parameters of a Caribbean population. Our findings can contribute to the clinicians when planning or performing dental procedures.