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Review Article
Biologic width: Understanding and its preservation
Malathi K 1, Singh A2
ABSTRACT
1 The relationship between the periodontal health and the restoration of
Dr K Malathi
Professor & Head, Periodontics teeth is intimate and inseparable. Maintenance of gingival health
Government Dental college and constitutes one of the keys for tooth and dental restoration longevity. An
Hospital adequate understanding of relationship between the periodontal tissue and
Tamil Nadu, India
restorative dentistry is essential to ensure adequate form and function of
2
Dr Arjun Singh dentition and Esthetics and comfort to the patients. Restoration of
Postgraduate student, Periodontics fractured (traumatized), severely decayed, partially erupted (delayed
Government Dental college and passive eruption), worn or poorly restorated teeth is often difficult for the
Hospital
dentist without surgical and orthodontic intervention. Surgical crown
Tamil Nadu, India
lengthening of these teeth is necessary to provide adequate tooth structure
Received: 11-09-2013 for restoration or Esthetics enhancement, thus adhering to basic biological
Revised: 22-09-2013 principles by preventing impingement on the periodontal attachment
Accepted: 30-10-2013
apparatus or biological width. Many clinicians have been unable to utilize
Correspondence to: the concept of biologic width in practical manner. Hence the purpose of this
Dr K Malathi article is to describe the biologic width anatomy, evaluations & correction
09444040620 of its violation by different methods.
malsmoni@gmail.com
Keyword: Biologic width, crown lengthening, orthodontic extrusion
Table 1: The dentogingival junction variability depending on the location or phase of the dentogingival
junction attachment
Without the adjacent tooth the fibers orientation represent the most
interproximal gingival tissue would flatten important difference between periodontal
out, assuming a normal 3.0mm biologic and peri-implant tissues, that is while in
width. Tarnow and colleagues found that periodontal structure fibers run
for the gingival tissue to assume complete perpendicular the long axis of tooth , in
filling of the interdental space, the implant tissue the fibers from the crest
distance from the contact point to run parallel to implant surface.
alveolar crest should not exceeded 5 mm The dimension of the soft tissue
to 5.5mm.Greater distance result in barrier around the implant seems to be
significant loss of alveolar height. [4] constant, similarly to what has been
described around teeth. The dimension
Biologic width and implant has been described as peri-implant
The structure of peri-implant mucosa has biologic width. This is composed of the
many similarities with periodontal tissue. sulcus and by the supracrestal epithelium
The soft tissue barrier is composed by a and connective tissue component. The
sulcus with a non-keratinized sulcular influence of five different factors on
epithelium and a supra crestal connective implant biologic width has been evaluated
tissue with an area of dense circular fibers these are: surgical technique, loading
near to the implant surface. [5] The time, abutment material, implant
presence of junctional epithelium facing structure and position, immediate post
the titanium has also been evidenced by a extraction insertion.
large number of studies. Connective tissue
plaque than other two types of gingival reason, radiographs are not diagnostic aid
margin and cause greater gingival because of tooth superimposition. [11]
inflammation. But things had changed Clinical method
now because of advance in new and After preparing a restorative margin,
effective finishing and polishing technique clinician can assess whether the violation
and therefore it can be used for of biologic width occur or not by as follow:
maintaining healthy periodontium. Clinician should use a sterilized
From periodontal tissue health periodontal probe and assess the
wise, both the above described restorative margin level if patient
restorative margins are well tolerated by experience the tissue discomfort
periodontal tissue. during this procedure. Then it is
ascertained that the biologic width
Subgingival margin violation had occurred.
Subgingival also termed as infragingival, A more positive assessment can be
means restorative margin is located below made clinically by measuring the
the marginal gingiva. It gives esthetically distance between the bone and the
pleasant result. But it also poses the restorative margin using a periodontal
greatest risk to damage to the probe.
periodontium if tissue attachment area is A sterilized periodontal probe is pushed
encroached. through the anesthetized attachment
Add on to above disadvantage is, tissue from the sulcus to the underlying
that this type of margin is not accessible bone, if the distance is less than 2 mm at
for finishing and polishing which act as a one or more location a diagnosis of
niche for bacterial growth and cause biologic width violation can be confirmed.
gingival inflammation. [10] This assessment should be complete
Restorative considerations in placing circumferentially around the tooth to
subgingival margin are: evaluate the extent of problem.
To create an adequate resistance and The biologic violation can occurred in
retention form. some patient in whom margins are placed
To alter the tooth contour because of more than
caries or other structural deficiency. 2mm.
Mask the restoration interface by This statement is in reference to
locating it subgingivally. the fact given by Vacek etal in 1994 who
proposed that the biologic width
How to evaluate whether the biological dimensions extend in the range of
width (tissue attachment area) is 0.75mm to 4.3 mm. [3] Thus according to
encroached or not: this information, biologic width
There are two method of evaluating it: assessment should be performed for each
Radiographic. patient to determine whether they need
Clinical method. additional biological width in excess of 2
mm for restoration to be in harmony with
Radiographic method their periodontal health.
Radiographic evaluation is only successful Biologic width dimension can be
for interproximal violation of biologic identified for each individual patients by
width, but the violation of biological width probing under anesthesia to the bone
is more common on mesio-facial and level (refer to as sounding of bone) and
disto-facial line angles of tooth. So for this
subtracting the sulcus depth from the slowly bringing alveolar bone and
resulting measurement. [11] gingival tissue with it up to the ideal
bone level by 0.5mm. Over that needs
How we can correct biologic width to be removed surgically to correct the
violation attachment violation. The tooth is
Biologic width violation occurred during then stabilized in this new position
restoration margin placement can be and then treated with surgery to
corrected by two methods: [12] correct the bone and gingival tissue.
Surgically removing bone away from Rapid extrusion procedure will
proximity to the restoration margin. complete in several weeks period.
Orthodontic extrusion of the tooth During this period supracrestal
and then moving the margin away fiberotomy is performed weekly in an
from the bone. effort to prevent the tissue and bone
Advantage of surgical process: following the tooth. The tooth is then
It is a rapid method. stabilized for at least 12 weeks to
Gives more pleasant result if the confirm the position of the tissue and
crown lengthening is done. bone and any coronal creep can be
corrected surgically.
Crown lengthening procedure
The concept of crown lengthening was Margin Placement Guide Lines [11]
first introduced by COHEN (1961). It
includes a combination or individual When placing restoration margin,
surgical procedure like soft tissue sulcus depth can be used as guideline.
recontouring by gingivectomy/ Base of the sulcus can be used as the
gingivoplasty and osseous recontouring. top of the attachment tissue.
The indication of each of the above With sulcus depth of 1-1.5 mm,
procedure depends on patient related extending the preparation more than
factor. 0.5mm will risk the violating the
attachment.
Type of surgical process can be used for
crown lengthening procedure Conclusion
Gingivoplasty The health of periodontal tissue is
Gingivectomy dependent on properly designed
Apical repositioned flap with bone restoration. Incorrectly placed restorative
recontouring. margin and unadapted restoration
violates the biologic width. If the margin
Orthodontic procedure must be placed subgingivally, other
Indication of orthodontic extrusion: factors to be taken into account are:
When the biologic width violation is 1. Correct crown contour in gingival third.
on the interproximal surface. 2. Correct polishing and finishing of the
In condition when biologic width margin.
violation is across the facial surface, 3. Sufficient zone of attached gingival and
the gingival level is correct. no biologic width violation by subgingival
Two type of force can be used for margin.
orthodontic extrusion. [13] Repeated maintenance visits, patient co-
Low orthodontic extrusion force, when operation and motivation are important
used causes the tooth to extrude factor for improved success of restoration