Gingival recession and pathologic migration due to an unusual habit

Various etiologies are implicated as causes of gingival recession and pathological tooth migration, most prevalent among these being the tissue destruction caused by periodontal pathogens. One of the least documented causes is a parafunctional habit, such as digit-sucking or sucking on objects like pencils, pens or toothpicks, all of which can lead to adverse effects on the dentition and the periodontal tissues resulting in midline diastema, alveolar bone loss, gingival recession, mobility, and ultimately tooth loss. This case report describes the periodontal injury caused by an unusual habit of placing a coin between the mandibular anterior teeth. The potential effects of this habit on the dentition and periodontium are discussed; the preventive measures to be taken and the outline for the management of such cases, to ensure periodontal health of the patient are dealt with in this report.