Alterations of the marginal soft tissue (gingival margin) following periodontal therapy: A clinical study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The evaluation of gingival margin position (GMP) plays a vital role in periodontal therapy and is critical in esthetic/plastic surgical procedures revolving around restorative dentistry. Comparative evaluations of GMP measurements in various periodontal therapies are scarce. Thus, the objectives of this study are to measure the alteration in the gingival margin position following various therapies, and to compare GMP alterations among different treatment modalities from the baseline to six months after therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The changes in GMP were studied for MB, B, DB, ML, and L sites for SRP, curettage, and flap surgery, and for MB, B, and DB sites for crown lengthening cases at the end of one, three, and six months after therapy. The results were interpreted from baseline to one, three, and six months posttreatment. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The results were subjected to statistical analysis. Paired ‘t’-test was used for intra-group comparisons and intergroup comparisons were done by one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The GMP changed from baseline in all the sites at different time periods following various therapies. The net results after six months were an apical shift of GMP in SRP, curettage, and flap surgery, and a coronal shift of GMP in crown lengthening. CONCLUSION: GMP shows various patterns of alteration after various periodontal therapies. One should wait for the GMP to become stable before attempting any restorative procedure.