Prevalence of gingival biotype and its relationship to dental malocclusion

To study the prevalence of different gingival biotypes in a sample of patients and the association between gingival biotype and different dental malocclusions.

Two hundred adult patients (100 males and 100 females) who presented for treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were recruited from February 2011 to February 2012. Gingival thickness was assessed for the maxillary central incisors using the transparency of periodontal probe technique. Angle's classification of malocclusion and smoking habit were also recorded.

The mean age was 32.1 (+/-11.0) years. Thin gingival biotype was observed in 44.5% of the sample, of which 64% were females and 25% were males (p=0.001). Only 31.4% of current smokers had thin gingival biotype compared to 51.9% of subjects who never smoked (p=0.011). No significant association between dental malocclusions and the presence of thin gingival biotype was found (Class I = 42.9%, Class II = 44.1%, and Class III 53.9%, p=0.6).

A high prevalence of thin gingival biotype especially among females was observed. Smokers had thicker gingival biotype. No relationship was found between gingival biotypes and Angle's classification of malocclusion.