Understanding the Periodontium in Dental Hygiene

Key Concepts

• Periodontium: Structures or tissues surrounding the tooth.
  • Derived from "peri" (around) and "odontion" (tooth).

Four Tissues of the Periodontium

• Cementum
  • A layer covering the root of the tooth.
  • Illustrated as a brown layer in diagrams.
• Alveolar Bone
  • Provides the socket for the tooth.
  • Depicted as yellow in diagrams.
• Periodontal Ligament (PDL) Fibers
  • Connective tissue fibers that help attach the tooth to the alveolar bone.
  • Shown as black lines in diagrams.
• Gingiva (Gums)
  • The visible part of the gums surrounding the teeth.
  • Depicted in red in illustrations.

Gingiva and CEJ

• Gingiva
  • Located coronal (above) to the Cemento-Enamel Junction (CEJ).
  • CEJ is where cementum and enamel meet on the tooth.

Explanation of CEJ

• Cemento-Enamel Junction (CEJ)
  • Junction where the enamel of the crown meets the cementum of the root.
  • Important landmark for assessing gum health.

Terminology

• Coronal
  • Towards the crown of the tooth.
• Apical
  • Towards the root or apex of the tooth.
  • Apex is the bottom tip of the root.

Junctional Epithelium

• Located at the base of the sulcus, where probing typically stops.
• Important in assessing periodontal health during examinations.

Upcoming Topics

• Detailed examination of gingival terms and their significance will be covered in future lectures.