Gingival recession in orthodontically treated young adults: prevalence, anatomical distribution, and association with retainer use.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of gingival recession in young adults and its association with orthodontic treatment and retention devices.

METHOD AND MATERIALS: In this large-scale cross-sectional study, 2,133 young adults aged 18 to 24 years were examined, comparing orthodontically treated individuals with untreated controls, one of the largest cohorts reported in this field. Orthodontic history, retainer presence and quality, and recession presence and location were recorded.

RESULTS

Previous orthodontic treatment was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of gingival recession (24.7% vs 2.35% in treated and untreated individuals, respectively; P .001), representing a 10-fold difference. Among orthodontically treated patients, retainer use was associated with a 2-fold higher mandibular recession prevalence compared to those without retainers (19.4% vs 9.2%; P .003). No significant difference in recession prevalence was observed across retention time groups. The majority of recession sites were located in the mandibular anterior region.

CONCLUSION

In this large scale-based sample, orthodontic treatment was associated with a markedly higher prevalence of gingival recession compared to untreated peers, and retainer use was further associated with increased mandibular recession. The clinical relevance is that regular periodontal monitoring during the retention phase is recommended, with particular attention to the mandibular anterior region. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating periodontal risk assessment into orthodontic treatment planning in order to decrease the risk of gingival recession.