Macro and Microscopic Anatomy of the Periodontal Tissues course for Dental Practice

This session will provide an overview of basic periodontal anatomy to assist the clinician in determining periodontal diagnoses, and also in formulating differential diagnoses for systemic conditions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the macroscopic anatomy of the periodontal tissues and variations thereof, including their embryological origins and relationships
• Identify key features of applied periodontal anatomy, visible upon clinical examination
• Recognise how anatomical landmarks are related to definitions of health, gingivitis and periodontitis
• Recognise the changes in anatomical relationships which define disease occurrence and progression
• Describe the microscopic features of normal anatomy and how these underpin normal structure and function, as well as how they change during disease

Conversely, many hundreds of systemic conditions present in and around the periodontal tissues, and their diagnosis and/or symptomatic management, requires intimate knowledge of periodontal anatomy at both macro- and microscopic levels. The latter is complex, being of mixed ectodermal and mesodermal origins.