THE RELATION OF THE MAXILLARY AND MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR GINGIVAL THICKNESS WITH GENDER AND AGE

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the relation of gingival thickness, which has been considered as an important factor in the development of gingival recession secondary to orthodontic tooth movement, with gender and age.Material-Method: A total of 182 periodontally healthy individuals (117 females and 65 males), who presented for orthodontic treatment to Faculty of Dentistry at the Yüzüncü Yıl University, were enrolled in this study. There were two age groups; 131 individuals under the age of 18 years were assigned to Group 1 and 51 individuals over the age of 18 years were assigned to Group 2. Maxillary and mandibular anterior gingival thicknesses (MAXAGT and MANAGT) were determined by the arithmetical mean of gingival thicknesses measured by transgingival probing technique from the coronal mucogingival junction and apical of free gingival sulcus. Arithmetical mean of gingival thickness was determined by the ratio of the sum of gingival thickness of the relevant teeth to the number of teeth. Student t test and Chi-square tests were used to determine whether there is significant difference between males and females and between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of MAXAGT and MANAGT.Results: Mean MANAGT was 0.703±0.153 mm in females and 0.759±0.197 mm in males and MAXAGT was 1.104±0.239 mm and 1.165±0.220 mm in females and males, respectively. The prevalence of thin biotype was 65.5% and 34.5% for mandibular anterior region and 74.4% and 25.6% for maxillary anterior region in females and males, respectively. While there was no statistically significant difference between females and males in terms of prevalence of thin biotype in the maxillary anterior region, gingival thickness in the mandibular anterior region was lower in females versus males (p=0.036). MANAGT was 0.715±0.171 in Group 1 and 0.742±0.175 in Group 2; whereas, MAXAGT was 1.158±0.233 in Group 1 and 1.041±0.217 in Group 2. No significant difference was determined between Group1 and Group 2 in terms of mandibular anterior gingival thickness, however, maxillary anterior gingival thickness was statistically lower in Group 2 (p=0.002).Conclusion: This study indicates that gingival thickness of the mandibular anterior region is lower in females versus males and gingival thickness of the maxillary anterior region is lower in Group 2.&nbsp