Measurement of human gingival sulcus temperature

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Abstract
With the ambient temperature well regulated (22.8 + 0.2°C, mean ± 95 % confidence limits) the gingival sulcus temperatures of 21 human subjects were measured, and gingival plaque indices recorded. All subjects had clinically healthy gingiva. The sulcus temperatures of the mandibular teeth were found to be higher than those of the maxillary teeth by 0.7 ± 0.2°C. In both arches, the sulcus temperatures of the molars exceeded those of the incisors by 1.5 ± 0.3°C, this difference being statistically significant. The mean gingival sulcus temperature averaged over the entire dentition was found to be 33.9 ± 0.4°C. Attempts to show a correlation between gingival inflammation and sulcus temperature, although unsuccessful, suggested that such a correlation might be demonstrated through the use of more sophisticated instrumentation. The profile of normal gingival sulcus temperatures established herein shows a marked agreement with published data concerning the distribution of the blood supply to the periodontal ligaments of individual human teeth. It could serve as a reference for studies of heat transfer in dental and periodontal tissues as well as providiong a clinical norm for use in the assessment of periodontal inflammation.

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