A long-term longitudinal study of gingival recession in dentists: A 15-year follow-up

To assess the prevalence, distribution pattern, and development/progression of gingival recession in a population of dentists, followed up over an additional 15 years, after an initial and previously published follow-up of 10 years.

This 25-year longitudinal gingival recession investigation started in 1994 at the Dental School with 60 final-year dental students; among them, 40 were re-examined in 2004, and 27 of those 40 were further examined in 2019 by the same examiner. A questionnaire session provided information on toothbrushing habits at each appointment.

In this study, 27 individuals aged 31-44 years (724 teeth) were followed up. The prevalence of gingival recession was 100% after 15 years. A total of 204 and 317 recessions found in 2004 and 2019, respectively, were valid for the longitudinal evaluation. The highest recession incidence was observed in the molars during both examinations (p < 0.0001). The mean recession heights were 1.66 ± 0.87 mm and 1.85 ± 1.08 mm, respectively (p = 0.024). The difference between the means was 0.19 mm after 15 years. The mean probing depth and bleeding on probing at the point of the maximum recession decreased (p < 0.0001). A multiple regression analysis on the tooth level was performed and indicated that the keratinized gingival width was negatively associated with the severity of the buccal recession height.

Fifteen years after the initial follow-up, the mean number of gingival recessions per dentist and the mean recession height increased, while toothbrushing habits remained nearly unchanged.