Tooth: Supporting structures (English)

Teeth are held in place by the periodontium composed of a variety of supporting structures such as the gum or gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone. Integrity of these structures is important since without them, teeth can become loose and eventually detach completely. The gingiva is the external portion of the periodontium surrounding each tooth. It is divided into an alveolar/fixed gingiva (going from the mucogingival junction until the level of the cementoenamel junction ‘CEJ’ or more specifically, the free gingival groove) and a marginal/free gingiva (from the free gingival groove until the gingival margin surrounding the tooth).