Measurement of the Gingival Colors of Periodontal Patients by Means of the Colorimeter

Abstract

The colors of gingivae play an important role in the treatment of periodontal diseases in that they furnish valuable guides concerning the diagnosis, observation of curative processes and prognostic judgment. Despite this high importance, however, the gingival colors have been hitherto studied chiefly on a subjective basis.
For the purpose of studying the gingival colors with as much objectivity as possible, the author used a microcolorimeter (CM-5A model) in examining comparatively the gingival colors of the patients of periodontal diseases and gingivitis.
At the same time, after the measurement of gingival colors of alveolar pyorrhea patients a relationship between the hemoglobin index and that of blood volume was looked into.
The following are some of the salient findings obtained:
1. With regard to hue measurements, they were in a descending order of inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea, gingivitis and mixed alveolar pyorrhea in the papillar region. In the marginal region, on the other hand, they were in a descending order of inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea, mixed alveolar pyorrhea and gingivitis.
2. With regard to value measurements, they were in a descending order of gingivitis, inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea and mixed alveolar pyorrhea in the papillar region. In the marginal region, on the other hand, they were in a descending order of gingivitis, mixed alveolar pyorrhea and inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea.
3. With regard to chroma measurements, they were in a descending order of inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea, gingivitis and mixed alveolar pyorrhea it the papillar region.
In the marginal region, on the other hand, they were in a descending order of inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea, gingivitis and mixed alveolar pyorrhea.
4. From the findings in 1), 2) and 3) above, the papillar gingivae in gingivitis revealed a bright and red-orange with the median “chroma”, inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea a bright yellow-orange with the median “chroma”, while mixed alveolar pyorrhea revealed a dark red with no “chroma”. On the other hand, the marginal and attached gingivae in gingivitis revealed a bright yellow-orange with sufficient “chroma”, inflammatory alveolar pyorrhea a dark red with the median “chroma”, while mixed alveolar pyorrhea revealed a red-orange and its brightness was without the median “chroma”.
5. The fluctuations in the hemoglobin index had much bearings on the brightness of gingival colors. The general tendency was that a high hemoglobin index was attended with the low brightness and, inversely, a low hemoglobin index with the high brightness.
6. Similarly, the fluctuationsin the blood volume index were found to have much bearings on the hue and value of gingival colors. That is, the blood with large erythrocytes had a dominance of red, while the blood with small erythrocytes had a dominance of yellow. In terms of values, the former was found to he highly colored than the latter when the two were compared.