Prevalence of gingival recession in university students: a systematic review

This systematic review aims to comprehensively assess the prevalence, extent, severity, and distribution of gingival recession (GR) among university students. Recognizing that GR rep-resents a significant periodontal concern with aesthetic and functional consequences, this review focuses on a young demographic that is underrepresented in epidemiological surveys.

Following the PRISMA guidelines and a pre-registered protocol, a structured search strategy was designed and executed across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and EBSCO databa-ses, targeting studies published over the last 20 years. Eligibility was defined using the PICO framework: Population: university students; Intervention/Exposure: presence of GR; Comparison: absence of GR; Outcome: prevalence rates. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklists were used to assess methodological quality and risk of bias across various study designs, including cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, and randomized controlled trials.

Out of 299 initially identified articles, nine met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 1,619 participants. The design of the included studies revealed considerable heterogeneity in sampling, measurement methods, and reported prevalence, which ranged widely from 29.4% to 82.6%. Risk factors linked to GR included age, gender, oral hygiene practices, brushing technique and force, occlusal interferences, and anatomical factors.

This systematic review demonstrates a high prevalence of gingival recession among university students, underscoring the importance of targeted preventive strategies and educational interventions in this population. Future well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causality and inform tailored prevention programs.