Thick Vs Thin Periodontal Phenotype: The Impact on Oral Health Outcomes

Periodontal phenotype refers to the physical expression of the periodontium, including thickness of the gingiva and alveolar bone, as determined by genetic and environmental factors. Gingival recession is significantly more prevalent in individuals with a thin periodontal phenotype, which suggests that a thick periodontal phenotype is more resistant to gingival recession than a thin one. Most patients with untreated gingival recession have progression, even with good oral hygiene. Periodontal phenotype also has an important role in the outcomes of periodontitis, restorative, implant, and orthodontic treatments, with a thicker phenotype offering advantages for all treatment modalities. Practitioners can perform periodontal phenotype modification to enhance outcomes for patients with naturally thin phenotype to enable them to reap the benefits of a thick periodontal phenotype. The evaluation of periodontal phenotype should be a routine part of dental assessment to allow oral healthcare professionals to determine if phenotype augmentation would benefit a patient's long-term oral health outcome. This article focuses on techniques to classify periodontal phenotype and the indications for phenotype modification.