Current status of indices of gingivitis.

Gingival indices are used to describe the relative status of the degree of either health, disease, or both, of the gingival tissues. Most of the indices incorporate a graduated scale with definite upper and lower limits. All gingival indices rely on one or more of the following criteria: color, contour, bleeding, extent of involvement, crevicular fluid flow. Some indices have shown a correlation between the various criteria used and histologic signs of inflammation, particularly in the case of bleeding and visual signs of inflammation. In this paper, a number of indices to assess gingival health have been reviewed; their sensitivity varies and the type of index used will be dependent on the objective of the study to be conducted.