AIMS: To evaluate the relationship between the mean gingival thickness in the mandibular anterior region and the positions of the mandibular incisors.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 187 periodontally healthy subjects who applied for orthodontic treatment were enrolled in this study. The participants were grouped as retrusive, norm and protrusive according to the position of the mandibular incisors. Gingival thickness was determined as the arithmetic mean of gingival thickness measured by the probing technique from the coronal mucogingival junction and from the apical of the free gingival sulcus. A Student’s t- and Chi-square tests were used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of mandibular anterior gingival thickness.

RESULTS: The mean gingival thickness was 0.726 ± 0.197 mm, 0.718 ± 0.158 mm and 0.691 ± 0.112 mm in the retrusive, norm and protrusive groups, respectively. All three groups had a thin gingival biotype with no statistically significant relationship determined between the mean gingival thickness of the mandibular anterior region and the positions of the mandibular incisors.

CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study revealed no relationship between the mean gingival thickness of the mandibular anterior region and the positions of the mandibular incisors.