Grafted and ungrafted labial gingival recession in pediatric orthodontic patients: effects of retraction and inflammation.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine changes in recession and other periodontal factors after orthodontic treatment of malocclusions. Twenty patients with preorthodontic labial recession on one or more mandibular central incisors were studied. Ten patients had received autogenous gingival grafts in the area of recession prior to orthodontics, while ten received no graft. The teeth presenting recession had been retruded from a preorthodontically prominent arch position. Moderate inflammation of marginal tissues and fair-to-poor oral hygiene were maintained by the patients. Statistically significantly less gingival recession was found in both groups after orthodontic treatment than was found pretreatment. The results of this study indicated that labial recession tends to decrease with retrusion of mandibular incisors even when moderate inflammation and fair-to-poor oral hygiene persist. Preorthodontic gingival grafting did not further decrease the postorthodontic gingival recession.