Clinical Assessment of Gingival Sulcus Depth and Biological Width Among a Population of Young Moroccan Adults

Objective The gingival sulcus and biological width are key anatomical structures involved in maintaining periodontal health and guiding prosthodontic treatment planning. Although their clinical importance has been well established, data describing these parameters in Moroccan populations remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the mean gingival sulcus depth and biological width among young Moroccan adults and to provide baseline descriptive data for future periodontal assessment and treatment planning. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 133 dental students (72 males and 61 females), aged 21 to 23 years, at the Dental Consultation and Treatment Center (CCTD) of Ibn Rochd University Hospital, affiliated with the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Casablanca (FMDC), Casablanca, Morocco. Each participant underwent standardized clinical and radiographic examinations of one anterior and one posterior tooth. Sulcus depth was measured using a calibrated periodontal probe, while biological width was assessed using periapical radiographs. A single calibrated examiner performed all measurements following a standardized protocol. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), and mean values were compared using Student's t-test. Results The mean sulcus depth was 1.11 mm for anterior teeth and 2.17 mm for posterior teeth, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). The mean biological width was 2.05 mm, consistent with classical reference values reported in the literature. No statistically significant sex-related differences were observed for either parameter. Sulcus depth was significantly greater in posterior teeth than in anterior teeth (p < 0.0001), and biological width differed significantly between anterior and posterior sites (p = 0.003). Conclusions The findings are consistent with previously reported values in the literature and confirm the relative stability of biological width in healthy periodontal tissues. These findings provide descriptive anatomical data that may contribute to biologically informed prosthodontic treatment planning. Further studies incorporating additional periodontal parameters and more diverse populations are recommended to improve external validity.