The soft tissue in the oral cavity is classified as either keratinized or nonkeratinized based on the presence of keratin in the epithelium.
 In health, the soft tissue immediately around the teeth is  keratinized and is referred to as keratinized tissue or gingiva.
Alveolar mucosa is non keratinized oral epithelium and is located apical to the keratinized tissue, delineated by the mucogingival junction (MGJ).
It should also be pointed out that mucosa can surround a tooth in health. (
Dorfman and Kennedy et al.)
 Nonkeratinized tissue also lines the cheeks (buccal mucosa), underside of the tongue and floor of the mouth.
The lips contain both non-keratinized tissue (on the inside) and keratinized tissue on the outside, demarcated by the vermillion border.
 The dorsum of the tongue is keratinized and features many papillae, some of which contain taste buds.

Exposure of the tooth root due to loss of keratinized tissue around the neck of a tooth is referred to as gingival recession.
 This can result in sensitivity or pain from the exposed tooth root surface (dentin is more permeable and soft compared to enamel and dentin is what makes up the tooth root).
Recession may also cause there to be an unasthetic appearance especially if located in the anterior dentition (front teeth).
While not all cases of gingival recession require surgical correction, there are various options if that is what the patient desires.
It should be reinforced that recession left untreated will not result in tooth loss, contrary to popular belief.
Also, recession that is left untreated can be maintained and the inflammation kept at bay with proper brushing and oral hygiene technique (Kennedy and Dorfman et al.)
On the other hand, if one desires to pursue corrective therapy, there are a wide variety of techniques ranging from autograft (your own tissue, usually taken from the palate), allograft (someone else's tissue, cadaver), xenograft (animal, usually porcine or bovine) or simply repositioning of the tissue native to the site.
The benefits of corrective therapy often result in decreased sensitivity through coverage of the root surface in addition to a gain in the keratinized tissue mentioned beforehand.
The soft tissue in the oral cavity is classified as either keratinized or nonkeratinized based on the presence of keratin in the epithelium.  In health, the soft tissue immediately around the teeth is  keratinized and is referred to as keratinized tissue or gingiva. Alveolar mucosa is non keratinized oral epithelium and is located apical to the keratinized tissue, delineated by the mucogingival junction (MGJ). It should also be pointed out that mucosa can surround a tooth in health. (Dorfman and Kennedy et al.)  Nonkeratinized tissue also lines the cheeks (buccal mucosa), underside of the tongue and floor of the mouth. The lips contain both non-keratinized tissue (on the inside) and keratinized tissue on the outside, demarcated by the vermillion border.  The dorsum of the tongue is keratinized and features many papillae, some of which contain taste buds.
Exposure of the tooth root due to loss of keratinized tissue around the neck of a tooth is referred to as gingival recession.  This can result in sensitivity or pain from the exposed tooth root surface (dentin is more permeable and soft compared to enamel and dentin is what makes up the tooth root). Recession may also cause there to be an unasthetic appearance especially if located in the anterior dentition (front teeth). While not all cases of gingival recession require surgical correction, there are various options if that is what the patient desires. It should be reinforced that recession left untreated will not result in tooth loss, contrary to popular belief. Also, recession that is left untreated can be maintained and the inflammation kept at bay with proper brushing and oral hygiene technique (Kennedy and Dorfman et al.) On the other hand, if one desires to pursue corrective therapy, there are a wide variety of techniques ranging from autograft (your own tissue, usually taken from the palate), allograft (someone else's tissue, cadaver), xenograft (animal, usually porcine or bovine) or simply repositioning of the tissue native to the site. The benefits of corrective therapy often result in decreased sensitivity through coverage of the root surface in addition to a gain in the keratinized tissue mentioned beforehand.
Gingival grafting