title: Development of labial gingival recessions in orthodontically treated patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to assess the prevalence of gingival recessions in patients before, immediately after, and 2 and 5 years after orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Labial gingival recessions in all teeth were scored (yes or no) by 2 raters on initial, end-of-treatment, and posttreatment (2 and 5 years) plaster models of 302 orthodontic patients (38.7% male; 61.3% female) selected from a posttreatment archive. Their mean ages were 13.6 years (SD, 3.6; range, 9.5-32.7 years) at the initial assessment, 16.2 years (SD, 3.5; range, 11.7-35.1 years) at the end of treatment, 18.6 years (SD, 3.6; range, 13.7-37.2 years) at 2 years posttreatment, and 21.6 (SD, 3.5; range, 16.6-40.2 years) at 5 years posttreatment. A recession was noted (scored "yes") if the labial cementoenamel junction was exposed. All patients had a fixed retainer bonded to either the mandibular canines only (type I) or all 6 mandibular front teeth (type II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a continuous increase in gingival recessions after treatment from 7% at end of treatment to 20% at 2 years posttreatment and to 38% at 5 years posttreatment. Patients less than 16 years of age at the end of treatment were less likely to develop recessions than patients more than 16 years at the end of treatment (P = 0.013). The prevalence of recessions was not associated with sex (P = 0.462) or extraction treatment (P = 0.32). The type of fixed retainer did not influence the development of recessions in the mandibular front region (P = 0.231).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of gingival recessions steadily increases after orthodontic treatment. The recessions are more prevalent in older than in younger patients. No variable, except for age at the end of treatment, seems to be associated with the development of gingival recessions.
authors: Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Anne Marie
authors: AM
authors: Renkema
authors: Piotr S
authors: PS
authors: Fudalej
authors: Alianne
authors: A
authors: Renkema
authors: Rosemie
authors: R
authors: Kiekens
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Katsaros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D018704:Orthodontic Retainers / Q000145:classification; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult