ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: to study the determinants of gingival recession in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. METHODS: Six hundred and fifty three consecutive adult patients visiting the Dental Hospital of the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), were included in this study. They were examined using a checklist including, the teeth with recession, Miller's class of recession, association of high frenal attachment etc. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients had gingival recession. Mean age of the patients with recession was 42.3 years + 18.2. Eighty-six patients (86, 13.2%) had at least one recession site. The overall mean number of recession was 4.74 + 5.57.The mean number of recessions. Both the prevalence and severity of recession were not gender related. Incisors had the highest overall recession prevalence 35.7%. Tooth abrasion was significantly associated with the severity of recession but not with the prevalence of recession (X2 = 2.71, p = 0.1). Prevalence of abrasion was not gender-related (p = 0.072). Smoking was significantly associated with recession in this study (p = 0.0006). Plaque and calculus scores and severity of recession increased significantly with age (p = 0.000). Bleeding on gentle probing (87, 21.3%) was strongly associated with both prevalence and severity of recession. (p = 0.000). High frenal attachment (p = 0.046) and malalignment (p = 0.000051) were significantly associated with recession. Orthodontic tooth movement, anterior open bite and lip incompetence were not associated with recession. CONCLUSIONS: Determinants of gingival recession in Ile-Ife were, abrasion, smoking, plaque, calculus, age, high frenal attachment and malalignment Gender, orthodontic tooth movement, anterior open bite and lip incompetence were not associated with recession. Determinants of prevalence were different from determinants of severity.The findings were not not gender related.
KEY WORDS: Gingival recession, Prevalence, Severity.