Earlier, a distinction was made between fixed and loose gums.

Here you can see an upper jaw, with the gums fitting snugly against the teeth. They are pale pink and finely dimpled. These are healthy gums, and you can see that as the gums draw away from the teeth, the dimples disappear – this is the loose part of the gums. A probe can be used to „move aside“ this part, while the lower part – known as the gingiva fixa, cannot be moved.

The importance of fixed gums (gingiva fixa) has been a topic of much debate. It was once assumed that the gingiva fixa protects the periodontal apparatus (parodontium) against mechanical strain while chewing. An inadequate amount of gingiva fixa supposedly speeds up recession of the gums.
In animal experiments and long-term studies it was shown that the prevalence or lack of fixed gums has no relevant influence on the progress of paradontal disease.

Due to the earlier assumption that the function of the gingiva fixa was to keep the periodontal apparatus healthy, a series of methods of producing and/or spreading gingiva fixa were developed. Based on current evidence, this is no longer necessary, as this procedure is suited neither for preventive care, nor for treatment of parodontal disease.