Nerve Endings in Gingival Tissue

¹ Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota

The purpose of this investigation was to study the morphology, number, histochemistry, and distribution of nerve endings in fresh gingival tissue from human beings by the use of cholinesterase and silver nitrate staining methods. This study tended to disclose that nerve end organs were more numerous in the anterior portion of the gingiva and that the concentration of nerve endings was greater in children than in adults.

Morphologically, these endings appeared to be organized and varied from the intraepithelial type to those that rolled on themselves. These endings did not appear to conform to the descriptions of the classic endings of Krause, Meissner, or Ruffini. Although the end organs described are not of one specific type, it is suggested that perhaps they should be considered under the classification of the mucocutaneous end organ or organized nerve ending.