gums
Enable an agent to recognise gingival tissue, record its location and observed condition, and identify when interpretation requires a dental assessment.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise gingival tissue, record its location and observed condition, and identify when interpretation requires a dental assessment.
Gums, or gingivae, are the oral mucosal tissues that surround the necks of teeth and cover the alveolar processes of the jaws, forming part of the periodontium.
It can be Map a gum observation to a specific tooth surface, papilla or gingival region.; Compare site-matched photographs and examination records over time.; Record reported bleeding or discomfort separately from directly observed findings.; Link gingival observations to neighbouring teeth, restorations and periodontal assessments.; Flag missing examination evidence before drawing conclusions about gum condition.; Prepare a site-specific observation summary for a dental professional..
Distinguishing features
The intended anatomical sense denotes tissue around teeth and over tooth-bearing alveolar processes, rather than a chewable product or adhesive material.
Gingiva forms a soft-tissue margin around a tooth; enamel and exposed root surfaces belong to the tooth.
Interdental gingiva occupies the tissue space between adjacent teeth; the interdental gap itself is not gingiva.
Attached gingiva is distinguished from adjacent alveolar mucosa by its anatomical position and tissue attachment; colour alone does not establish the boundary.
Gingiva is one component of the periodontium, so observations of gums alone do not describe all tooth-supporting tissues.
Scope
+ Gingival margins and tissue surrounding individual teeth
+ Interdental papillae and spaces they occupy
+ Free and attached gingiva and their anatomical boundaries
+ Site-specific gingival appearance, integrity and changes over time
+ Gingival observations and their examination context
- Chewing gum and plant-derived or manufactured gum materials
- Teeth, restorations and dental appliances as independent things
- Alveolar bone, periodontal ligament and the periodontium as a whole
- Oral mucosa outside the gingival boundary
- Gingivitis, periodontitis and other diseases as independent condition models
- Dental procedures, prescriptions and treatment plans
Characteristics
- Anatomical site
- Person or specimen; arch; tooth identifier with notation system; tooth surface or explicitly mapped region Gingival observations require a reproducible location rather than a single whole-mouth label.
- Gingival region
- Free gingiva; attached gingiva; interdental papilla; uncertain Different regions have different boundaries and observation requirements.
- Margin position
- Millimetres relative to an identified landmark, with direction and measurement convention stated Supports description of recession or coronal displacement without confusing margin movement with other periodontal measurements.
- Keratinized tissue width
- Millimetres from gingival margin to identified mucogingival junction; unavailable where that boundary cannot be established Records a specific tissue dimension that must not be treated as interchangeable with attached gingival width.
- Observed appearance
- Site-specific colour, pigmentation, contour, swelling and surface texture, with observation method Allows changes to be recorded while avoiding a universal colour or texture criterion for health.
- Surface integrity
- Intact; ulcerated; lacerated; other described change; not assessed Distinguishes a visible tissue defect from a general appearance change.
- Bleeding observation
- Spontaneous; reported during brushing; observed after professional probing; absent under stated conditions; not assessed Bleeding observations are interpretable only with their trigger and examination context.
- Professional probing depth
- Millimetres at a specified tooth site, with examiner, date and method Preserves examination evidence without treating depth alone as proof of a particular disease.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 14 findings · 24 questions.
Gingival identity and boundaries Establishes the intended meaning of gums and the tissue covered by each record.
The registry provides no definition, and both word sense and anatomical boundaries affect what belongs in this model.
Anatomical sense
Separates gingiva from material and product senses of gum.
Registry sense confirmation
Record evidence supporting the provisional interpretation of gums as gingiva.
- Does the originating registry or linked concept explicitly identify gums as gingiva? provenance
- What definition distinguishes this entry from chewing gum and gum materials? definition
Tissue boundaries
Locates gingiva relative to teeth, alveolar mucosa and other periodontal tissues.
Gingival region identification
Identify free gingiva, attached gingiva or an interdental papilla and document uncertain boundaries.
- Which gingival region does the observation cover, and what visible or examined landmarks support that assignment? boundary
- Does the observation extend into adjacent mucosa, tooth structure or deeper supporting tissue that requires a neighbouring model? boundary
Tooth-related geometry Records gingival position and dimensions using reproducible dental landmarks.
Margin position, tissue width and interdental form describe different aspects of gums and require explicit reference points.
Site and margin
Anchors gingival observations to a tooth and an identifiable margin reference.
Margin localization
Record the tooth surface, margin position and reference landmark without assuming that the landmark is visible.
- Which arch, tooth notation and surface locate this margin observation? measurement
- Where is the margin relative to the cementoenamel junction or another documented landmark, and how was that position measured? measurement
Tissue width and papillae
Describes gingival extent and interdental tissue form.
Gingival dimensions
Keep tissue-width measurements and papilla descriptions distinct, with their anatomical endpoints recorded.
- Is the reported width keratinized tissue width or attached gingival width, and which endpoints and method define it? measurement
- How much of the space beneath the adjacent tooth contact is occupied by the papilla, and is a contact present? measurement
Gingival condition observations Captures appearance, surface changes and bleeding at identified gingival sites.
Gum condition cannot be represented reliably by a single colour label or an unexplained healthy/unhealthy state.
Appearance and integrity
Records visible features and tissue defects in context.
Localized tissue change
Describe pigmentation, contour, swelling and surface integrity separately from any diagnostic interpretation.
- What colour, contour or surface change is present, and is it localized or distributed across several gingival sites? measurement
- Does a prior observation establish that this is a change rather than the person's usual appearance? provenance
Bleeding and sulcus observations
Preserves the circumstances of bleeding and professionally obtained probing measurements.
Examination context
Associate bleeding and probing records with their site, trigger and method; leave disease classification to an appropriate assessment.
- Was bleeding spontaneous, reported during cleaning or observed during professional probing, and at which site? provenance
- If probing depth is recorded, who measured it, when, and with which site and method documented? measurement
- What additional periodontal evidence is needed before this observation can support a disease classification? boundary
Gingival change and review Connects gum observations across time and to relevant local exposures and professional review.
Interpreting a gingival change requires comparable records and context about what contacts or affects the tissue.
Local context and timeline
Relates a gingival site to nearby dental features and dated events without assuming causation.
Site-specific context
Record nearby deposits, restorations, appliances or recent procedures as contextual relations.
- Are plaque, calculus, a restoration edge or an appliance documented at or near the affected gingival site? provenance
- When did the change begin relative to any reported cleaning injury, appliance adjustment or dental procedure? provenance
Comparison and professional review
Supports careful comparison and transfer of unresolved observations to a dental professional.
Reviewable gingival record
Preserve comparable site records and distinguish observed evidence, reported symptoms and professional conclusions.
- Were repeated photographs or measurements taken at the same gingival site under sufficiently comparable conditions? measurement
- Which observations, reported symptoms and unresolved questions should be included in a dental review summary? action
- Has a dental professional assessed this change, and what conclusion or follow-up was actually documented? provenance
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The anatomical sense is inferred from the plural name; no recorded sense confirms it, and material or confectionery senses remain possible.
- The probing-depth range is a common clinical reference, not a sufficient test of periodontal health; interpretation depends on inflammation, attachment level and examination technique.
- This is a recall-based description; no sources were consulted.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Free or marginal gingiva
- Attached gingiva
- Interdental gingiva
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Form a protective tissue seal around teeth.
- Protect underlying periodontal tissues during chewing.
- Are examined during dental assessments for inflammation, recession and periodontal disease.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Gingival sulcus probing depth at clinically healthy sites - 1-3 - mm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Gingivitis: inflammation of the gingiva, commonly associated with dental plaque.
- Gingival recession, which exposes tooth root surfaces.
- Periodontitis involving loss of deeper periodontal attachment and supporting bone.
- Gingival enlargement, including forms associated with certain medications.
- Traumatic injury or ulceration.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Periodontium - The periodontium includes gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone; gums are only its gingival component.
- Alveolar mucosa - Alveolar mucosa is generally movable and nonkeratinized, unlike the firmly bound attached gingiva.
- Teeth - Teeth are mineralized organs; gums are the soft tissues surrounding their cervical regions.
- Natural gums - Natural gums are predominantly polysaccharide materials; this description covers anatomical gingivae.
- Chewing gum - Chewing gum is a manufactured product intended for chewing; anatomical gums are living tissues.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of gums this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Does the originating registry identifier confirm the gingival sense of gums, rather than a gum material or product?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already cover gingiva, requiring this registry entry to link to that source of truth?
- Should tissue over edentulous ridges and tissue surrounding dental implants belong here or to neighbouring oral-mucosa and peri-implant models?
- Which authoritative dental references and examination conventions should govern gingival boundaries, site notation and measurement methods?
- How should age, dentition stage, pigmentation and examination conditions qualify comparisons, and which professionally validated criteria should govern review flags?