Effects of artifical crown margin extension and tooth brushing frequency on gingival pocket depth.
The gingival tissues adjacent to the crowned and unrestored teeth were probed to determine individual pocket depths. The findings are listed here. (1) The average pocket depth adjacent to nonrestored teeth was 2.7 mm. The average pocket depth adjacent to teeth having crowns with subgingival margins was 3.4 mm. (2) Fifty-four nonrestored teeth had at least one pocket depth greater than 3 mm., while 84 crowned teeth had at least one or more measurements greater than 3 mm. (3) No positive relationship could be found between tooth brushing frequency and the pocket depth adjacent to teeth restored with complete cast crowns. (4) In nonrestored teeth, pocket depth increased with reduced frequency of tooth brushing. (5) Pocket depth increased with increased age of (a) the patient in both restored and nonrestored teeth and (b) the cast crown.