A study on the correlation between the Munsell values and histopathological findings in human gingiva (author's transl)

Abstract

The color of gingiva plays an important role in the treatment of the periodontal diseases in that furnish valuable guides concering the diagnosis, observation of curative processes and prognostic judgement. It is said to be greatly influenced by such factors as the conditions of blood circulation, blood vessels, nature of the blood, the thickness of gingival epithelium, the degree of keratinization and deposition of certain pigments.Little work has been done to study on the correlation between the gingival color and those factors. The author compared the gingival color with histopathological findings in the purpose of investigating with the correlation between the gingival color and those factors.A study material consisted of 18 males and 19 females (except the menstrual cycles), ranging from 19 to 27 in age, who were diagnosed as clinically normal gingiva, and 10 males and 5 females, ranging from 19 to 58 in age, who were diagnosed as necessity of gingivectomy in the labial gingiva of both upper and lower anterior teeth in the department of periodontology, Nihon University Dental Hospital.With each subjects, measurements were made of the gingival color in the interdental papilla and the marginal gingiva, by using new type color meter (CM-5A).In inflamed gingiva, immediately after the measurements, the same portions were photographed by the capillary-microscope and then were provided for biopsy.The obtained gingival specimen were divided into three groups by Munsell hue. Each group was observed capillary-microscopically and histpathologically.The results were as follows:1. The measured values of the clinically normal gingiva.In the interdental papilla4.6 R-5.0 YR 3.9-4.9/1.4-3.1In the marginal gingiva5.3 R-6.5 YR 4.0-4.9/1.4-4.0Those measured values agreed approximately with the report of KANEKO.2. The measured values of the inflamed gingiva.In the interdental papilla2.1 R-4.2 YR 3.3-4.6/1.6-4.0In the marginal gingiva3.0 R-4.5 YR 3.8-5.2/1.5-3.5One third of the specimen was not in the range of the color in the clinically normal gingiva.3. Histopathologically, in the inflamed gingiva, when the type of the keratinization and the thickness of the keratinization and the gingival epithelium were in certain range, they had few effects on the hue. Dut the correlation btween the grade of dilatation of blood vessels in gingival papilla and the hue was observed. In particular, the hue was seemed to be influenced by the width and the height of the papilla, and the thickness of the epithelium at the apex of the papilla.4. Capillary-microscopically in the inflamed gingiva, the correlation between the hue and both the mean diameters of gingival capillaries, and the mean number of gingival capillary loops was. not remarkable as well as the report of HIRATSUKA.As were confined by the results above, this apparatus is handy clinically, can be operated in a short time, and that the measured values on this study is the same as the experimental data in the past. These values suggest to be more available for the observation of the progressing than the diagnosis of the periodontal diseases.