Dental question about gingival sulcus depth?

Question

My notes for Periodontics says that the clinical healthy depth of the gingival sulcus is 1-3mm but says that the histologic depth is 1.5-1.8mm. It then says "why is there a difference?". Does anyone know what "histologic depth" of the gingival sulcus means?

Answer 1

THIS DEPTH IS THE NATURALLY OCCURING BIOLOGIC DEPTH WHEN THERE IS NO INFLAMMATION, aka when the gums are in perfect condition.
WHEN THERE IS GINGIVAL HEALTH AS MEASURED BY THE DENTIST, MEASUREMENTSOF 1-3mm ARE OBTAINED BY USING A PERIODONTAL PROBE.

Answer 2

Histologically means they used a microscrope to measure the attachment and measured it, that means they cut it out of something dead, like an animal or cadaver. In something dead there would be little inflamation. Remember clinically that everyone pushes the probe with different force and that inflamation of the crestal ginigiva can cuase an increased depth reading, also it is possible that the insertion of the probe could seperate a long junctional epithelium that was present or penetrate the normal attachment apparatus. So why is there a difference? short answer: inflamation of tissue, variability of operator, and most importantly when the probe is inserted into the sulcus it most likely displaces or separates the tissue giving you a larger measurment.