Reassessment of Keratinized Gingiva Evaluation: A Cross-Sectional Comparison between Intraoral Scanning and Clinical Measurements

This research aimed to reexamine the interrelationship between gingival thickness (GT), keratinized gingiva width (KGW), papilla height (PH), and crown ratio (CR) using two assessment approaches: transgingival probing and an intraoral scanner (IOS). A total of 360 maxillary anterior teeth from 60 individuals were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. GT was recorded via transgingival probing with an endodontic spreader, while KGW, PH, and CR were measured digitally using an IOS. Statistical analyses involved one-way ANOVA, Student’s t-test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. The findings revealed a significant inverse association between GT and KGW in the central region (P=0.019). GT did not vary significantly among different teeth (P=0.06). Lateral teeth exhibited a lower PH (2.99 mm) compared to canines (P=0.047), whereas canines had a narrower KGW than central incisors (P=0.007). In the central area, a moderate positive correlation was observed between KGW and PH (P=0.01), while KGW and CR showed a weak negative relationship (P=0.043). In central teeth, GT and KGW, as well as PH and KGW, demonstrated moderate negative correlations, and a weak negative correlation existed between CR and KGW. The observation that KGW and GT were inversely related challenges the conventional assumption of a direct relationship between these parameters, with IOS-based measurement providing a refined perspective.