| A | B |
|---|
| acute | sudden onset, pain |
| chronic | slow continual progression of disease |
| bright red | acute |
| red | edematous |
| pink | fibrotic |
| pale white | hyperkeratinized |
| blunted | does not fill the embrasure, rounded peak |
| cratered | depression rather than peak |
| friable | fragile, thin, easily lacerated |
| flattened | no interdental papillae |
| diffuse | inflammation affects the papillary, marginal and attached gingiva |
| bluish-red | cyanosis |
| swollen | size increase due to edema |
| enlarged | size increase due to edema or fibrosis |
| fibrosis | excess gingival fiber formation |
| rounded | slight loss of knife edge due to enlargement |
| rolled | entire marginal gingiva is enlarged |
| festooned | "life-saver effect" of margin |
| cleft | localized recession |
| Stillman's cleft | localized v-shaped cleft |
| bulbous | enlarged with rounded rather than pointed peak |
| flattened | more receded than with blunting |
| friable | fragile, thin, readily fragmented |
| edematous consistency | soft spongy |
| edematous texture | smooth, shinny, glossy |
| fibrotic consistency | firm, hard, leathery |
| fibrotic texture | rough, highly stippled |
| hyperkeratinized | white and hard |
