Exploring the Lingual Attached Gingiva: Revealing the Hidden Dimensions of Periodontal Health-A Cross-Sectional Study

The width of lingual attached gingiva is a crucial element of periodontal health that has been relatively overlooked compared to buccal attached gingiva. To evaluate this important aspect of the oral anatomy, the authors conducted a cross-sectional observational study encompassing 120 individuals aged 18 to 30 years who were periodontally sound. By employing the rolling probe and visual methods to locate the mucogingival junction of mandibular teeth, and measuring with a UNC-15 periodontal probe, the researchers discovered the greatest width of attached gingiva (AG) on the lingual aspect to be at the first and second molars (5.85 mm ± 1.26 mm), while the narrowest width was observed around the incisors (1.08 mm ± 0.65 mm). These distinctions were noted consistently across age groups and genders, with recorded widths ranging from 0 mm to 10 mm. No significant differences in width of lingual AG were observed between males and females, and the narrowest band was found to be at the central incisor (0.54 mm ± 0.54 mm) and the widest band at the first molar (5.97 mm ± 1.3 mm). The results accentuate the need for enhanced focus on the examination of lingual AG within the realm of periodontal research through further studies.