Gingival Micro Circulation: Nature of Vasculature

Microcirculation is defined as the flow of blood in the minutest blood vessels present in the tissues. These micro-vessels in the organs and tissues comprises the microvasculature. These micro-vessels are made up of four components that includes arterioles metarterioles capillaries and venules. Arterioles carry oxygenated blood to the capillaries. Blood in the capillaries in turn flows out into veins via venules. Microcirculation differs from macro-circulation which involves circulation of blood to and from the organs. The maximum vascular supply of the periodontal tissues is from the microcirculation. Every blood vessel that supplies the periodontal tissues including the gingiva in both maxilla and mandible emerges out from the maxillary artery. These blood vessels branch into the alveolar bone marrow and gets distributed within the periodontium ultimately as micro-vessels microcirculation. Changes in the periodontal vasculature is evident as the periodontal condition shifts from health to disease. This review paper highlights the structure of microcirculation its functions vascular distribution of gingiva differences in the maxillary and mandibular blood flow rates aging and microcirculatory dynamics in human gingiva effects of smoking and changes in gingival microcirculation from health through gingivitis to periodontitis.