Gingival recession and attachment loss: Cross-sectional and retrospective data of 10 years

BACKGROUND: Gingival recession is a manifestation of the presence of periodontitis and the expression of its characteristics for a long time in the patient’s oral cavity. Loss of attachment and its association with gingival recession affect the prosthetic value of the tooth as they significantly change the center of axial rotation of the tooth. The present study aimed to determine the correlation between gingival recession and attachment loss. METHODS: Data on gingival recession and loss of attachment were collected in two groups of patients. In the first group (n=34), cross-sectional data were collected; in the second group (n=64), previously collected data over 10 years were evaluated. RESULTS: Gingival recession was the most prevalent in the age group of 20-30 age group in 56% of the patients. The same values held for the retrograde data. An attachment loss of 4-6 mm was reported in 26% of the patients in the 31-50 age group in the cross-sectional data group, and 7 mm of gingival recession was reported in 3% of the patients in the 31-50 age group. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of periodontitis at a young age indicates a poor prognosis of this disease at older ages. Gingival recession associated with attachment loss for patients with chronic periodontitis has higher values at the 31-50 age group, where systemic conditions are gradually developing in the human body.