THE PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GINGIVAL RECESSION IN SUBJECTS WITH A HIGH STANDARD OF ORAL HYGIENE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the developme nt/progression of attachment loss and gingival recession at buccal too th surfaces in a population sample with a high standard of oral hygien e. An additional aim was to study the relationship between attachment loss and gingival recession. The subject sample examined comprised 225 regular dental care attendants at 12 community dental clinics in Swed en. All subjects were subjected to a baseline examination in 1977-78 a nd were re-examined after 5 years and 12 years. The clinical examinati ons involved assessment of plaque, gingivitis, probing depth, probing attachment loss and gingival recession. A full-mouth set of intraoral radiographs was obtained at each examination and used for determinatio n of the height of periodontal bone support. The results of the cross- sectional and longitudinal analyses performed showed that in subjects with a high standard of oral hygiene (i) buccal gingival recession was a frequent finding, (ii) the proportion of subjects with recession in creased with age, (iii) the prevalence as well as the incidence of rec essions within the dentition showed different patterns depending on ag e, (iv) sites with recession showed susceptibility for additional apic al displacement of the gingival margin and (v) loss of approximal peri odontal support was associated with gingival recession at the buccal s urface.