Periodontal Anatomy Flashcards
7 cards from real ABP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Periodontal Anatomy flashcards as text
Which cells are primarily responsible for maintaining and remodeling the alveolar bone proper (bundle bone) adjacent to the PDL?
Answer: Osteoblasts and osteoclasts
Alveolar bone remodeling is carried out by coordinated activity of osteoblasts (bone formation) and osteoclasts (bone resorption), regulated by local and systemic signals.
The mucogingival junction (MGJ) in the maxillary anterior region is identified clinically by which characteristic?
Answer: Color change from pale pink to darker red/pink alveolar mucosa
The MGJ is recognized by a color change from the pale, stippled keratinized gingiva to the redder, non-keratinized, movable alveolar mucosa.
Sharpey's fibers are the embedded portions of which periodontal structure?
Answer: PDL principal fibers (extrinsic fibers)
Sharpey's fibers are the mineralized ends of principal PDL collagen fiber bundles that insert into both cementum and alveolar bone proper.
Which zone of the junctional epithelium directly contacts the tooth surface via hemidesmosomes and a basal lamina?
Answer: Inner layer facing the tooth
The inner layer (dentally facing cells) of the junctional epithelium attaches to enamel, cementum, or dentin via hemidesmosomes and an internal basal lamina.
Which artery is the primary blood supply to the buccal gingiva of the maxillary posterior teeth?
Answer: Posterior superior alveolar artery
The posterior superior alveolar artery (branch of the maxillary artery) supplies the buccal gingiva and alveolar mucosa of the maxillary posterior region.
The lamina dura visible on periapical radiographs corresponds histologically to which structure?
Answer: Alveolar bone proper (cribriform plate/bundle bone)
The lamina dura is the radiodense line representing the alveolar bone proper (cribriform plate), which is perforated by canals transmitting vessels to the PDL.
The average physiologic depth of the gingival sulcus in clinically healthy human gingiva (histologic measurement) is approximately:
Answer: 1.8 mm
Histologic studies (Gargiulo et al. 1961) show the average sulcus depth is approximately 1.8 mm, though clinical probing values are often higher due to probe penetration.