The prevalence and distribution of gingival recession in subjects with a high standard of oral hygiene.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the development/progression of attachment loss and gingival recession at buccal tooth surfaces in a population sample with a high standard of oral hygiene. An additional aim was to study the relationship between attachment loss and gingival recession. The subject sample examined comprised 225 regular dental care attendants at 12 community dental clinics in Sweden. All subjects were subjected to a baseline examination in 1977-78 and were re-examined after 5 years and 12 years. The clinical examinations involved assessment of plaque, gingivitis, probing depth, probing attachment loss and gingival recession. A full-mouth set of intraoral radiographs was obtained at each examination and used for determination of the height of periodontal bone support. The results of the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses performed showed that in subjects with a high standard of oral hygiene (i) buccal gingival recession was a frequent finding, (ii) the proportion of subjects with recession increased with age, (iii) the prevalence as well as the incidence of recessions within the dentition showed different patterns depending on age, (iv) sites with recession showed susceptibility for additional apical displacement of the gingival margin and (v) loss of approximal periodontal support was associated with gingival recession at the buccal surface.

Periodontal conditions of adult regular dental care attendants. A 12-year longitudinal study.

The purpose of the present study was to examine longitudinal alterations in the periodontal conditions of regular dental care attendants. 225 randomly selected patients (age 18-65 years) at 12 community dental clinics in the county of Värmland, Sweden, were subjected to a baseline clinical and radiographic examination in 1978 and to a re-examination in 1990. During the study period, all participants received preventive and therapeutic measures according to decisions made by the dentist on duty in the clinics. The examinations involved assessments of number of remaining teeth, plaque, gingivitis, probing pocket depth, loss of probing attachment and periodontal bone height. The results showed that during the 12 years of monitoring, an average of 0.4 teeth were lost. The % of tooth sites with gingivitis was lower in 1990 (4%) than in 1978 (15%), but no major changes were found for the mean probing pocket depth. The mean probing attachment loss during the 12 years amounted to 0.5 mm. The tooth site analysis revealed that buccal sites had experienced more loss of attachment than lingual and approximal surfaces. Whereas no differences were observed between age groups with respect to longitudinal loss of attachment at lingual and approximal tooth sites, the youngest age group demonstrated more pronounced loss at buccal surfaces than older subjects. The radiographic assessments of the alveolar bone height revealed a mean longitudinal loss amounting to 0.2-0.4 mm in the various age groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Considerations on the contribution of ageing to loss of periodontal tissue support.

The present study is an attempt to assess if age-related changes, manifested as loss of probing attachment and alveolar bone, occur in humans. 511 subjects, in ages 20-24, 30-34, 40-44, 50-54 and 60-64 years, were included in the study. All subjects had undergone a comprehensive clinical examination, including recordings of probing pocket depth and probing attachment level. A subsample of subjects was selected, whose periodontal status indicated minimal experience of destructive periodontal disease. In these particular subjects, the height of the alveolar bone was also assessed. The results showed that in the subsample, (i) attachment loss increased with age, but (ii) a high proportion of tooth surfaces remained with no attachment or alveolar bone loss in ages between 20 and 64 years. There are reasons to suggest, therefore, that age-related alterations in the periodontium may not inevitably be manifested as loss of probing attachment or alveolar bone.