Comparison of Lower Incisor Gingival Recession in Nonextraction Orthodontic Patients with Class I Crowding and Class II Malocclusion

Abstract

Objective: To compare lower incisor gingival recession (GR) in non extraction orthodontic patients with Class I crowding and Class II malocclusion treated using Class II elastics.
Study Design: A cross sectional comparative study.
Place and Duration of Study: Orthodontic Department, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences (RIHS), from February 10, 2024 to August 10, 2024.
Materials and Methods: Pre and post-treatment casts of 42 orthodontic patients were divided into two groups: Class I crowding (C1) and Class II elastic treatment (E2). Clinical crown height (CCH) of the lower left central incisor was measured. GR was determined as the difference in CCH before and after treatment. The data was analyzed by SPSS v.20.0. Descriptive statistics like frequency of gender and mean age in C1 and E2 group were calculated. Paired sample t-test for intra group GR (pre and post treatment) and independent sample t-test for inter group GR were applied to analyze GR between two groups. The p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Both groups showed an increase in GR after treatment. The mean GR1 value was slightly higher (.5214mm) than GR2 (.4262mm) depicting that the C1 group had slightly more GR than the E2 group, though this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: Both treatment modalities in non extraction cases resulted in increased GR, emphasizing the need to consider periodontal implications during orthodontic planning.