Permeability of the dento‐gingival blood vessels

As a rule, fluid could not be recovered on paper strips placed in the orifice of the gingival crevice in cases of clinically healthy gingivae. This is taken to indicate that abnormal permeability of the dento‐gingival blood vessels does not occur in healthy gingivae. An indication that a minor variation in permeability might occur, however, was observed in the specimens. Using the vascular labelling method, punctate deposits of carbon were seen in the wider vessels, pointing to a minor increase of permeability of these vessels when compared to the other vessels of the crevicular plexus. Likewise, the phenomenon of adhesion of “carbon leucocytes” to the walls of venules was observed, which was interpreted as being a response to a low grade irritant.