Periodontics and Gum Health Flashcards

Which parameter is used in the 2017 AAP/EFP staging and grading system to indicate rate of periodontitis progression?

Answer: Grade (A–C)

Grade (A = slow, B = moderate, C = rapid) reflects the rate of periodontitis progression based on direct and indirect evidence.

Enamel projections and enamel pearls are significant in periodontal disease because they:

Answer: Preclude connective tissue attachment, facilitating furcation involvement

Enamel projections extending toward furcations prevent normal periodontal fiber attachment, making those areas susceptible to furcation disease.

A patient with well-controlled Type 1 diabetes and Stage III periodontitis is classified as Grade:

Answer: Grade B

Well-controlled diabetes is a grade modifier that upgrades the patient to at least Grade B due to the systemic risk factor.

Which radiographic bone pattern is MOST favorable for periodontal regeneration?

Answer: Three-wall infrabony defect

Three-wall infrabony defects provide three bony walls to support regenerative materials and act as a scaffold, yielding the best regenerative outcomes.

Gingival hyperplasia is a known side effect of all of the following medications EXCEPT:

Answer: Metformin

Metformin (an antidiabetic drug) does not cause gingival enlargement; phenytoin, cyclosporine, and calcium channel blockers like nifedipine are the classic culprits.

The modified Widman flap differs from an open flap debridement primarily because it:

Answer: Includes a reverse bevel incision and removes the inner epithelium and granulation tissue

The modified Widman flap uses a reverse bevel (internal bevel) incision to excise the pocket epithelium and inflamed connective tissue while preserving the outer gingival tissue.

Which measurement defines the width of attached gingiva?

Answer: Distance from mucogingival junction to bottom of pocket subtracted from total gingival width

Attached gingiva width = total keratinized tissue width (free gingival margin to MGJ) minus the probing depth.