Magnitude of gingival recession and associated factors among patients visiting ALERT Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Gingival recession is caused by root surface exposure due to apical displacement of the gingival margin toward the cemento-enamel junction. Understanding the magnitude and risk factors that contribute to gingival recession is important for the development of targeted oral health interventions. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude of gingival recession and its associated factors in patients at the Alert Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This study included 411 patients using a systematic sampling method. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and observational checklist for oral examinations. The questionnaire was carefully designed, pre-tested, and administered in Amharic. Data were entered into SPSS version 23 for analysis. Poisson regression was used to identify the factors associated with gingival recession. The magnitude of gingival recession among patients was 43.1%. According to the results of Poisson regression analysis, tooth discoloration (PR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.07–1.78), comorbidities (PR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.05–1.64), smoking status (PR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.06–2.13), plaque accumulation (PR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.60–3.18), and dry mouth status (PR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.29–2.73) were significantly associated with gingival recession. Gingival recession was observed in a considerable proportion (43.1%) of the study participants. Tooth discoloration, comorbidities, plaque accumulation, smoking status, and dry mouth are the risk factors for gingival recession. These results emphasize the importance of addressing these risk factors in clinical practice to reduce the likelihood of gingival recession.