The purpose of this study was to investigate the width of attached gingiva of 414 subjects with healthy gingiva, or early stage of gingivitis. We compared the differences according to the tooth location, age (Yonger group : 14~30, Older group : 31~67) and gender.

In addition, we compared the width of attached gingiva in the subjects with less than 2 sites of gingival recession(Re≤2) and the subjects with more than 3 sites of gingival recession(Re≥3) to study the relationship between the gingival recession and the width of attached gingiva.

The results were as follows :

1. The width of keratinized gingiva was widest in maxillary incisors(5.3±1.4mm) and narrowest in mandibular right 1st bicuspid and mandibular right and left 2nd molars(3.5±1.1mm).

2. The width of attached gingiva was widest in maxillary right central incisor(3.8±1.5mm) and narrowest in mandibular right 2nd molar(1.2±1.0mm).

3. In the comparison between the age groups, the width of keratinized in older group was significantly(p<0.05) wider than that in younger group in maxillary right and left 1st bicuspids, mandibular right and left 1st and 2nd molars, maxillary right and left cuspids and mandibular right 1st bicuspid. There was no significant difference in the width of attached gingiva between the two groups except for maxillary right and left 1st molars and maxillary left 2nd molar.

4. In the comparison between male group and female group, in maxillary right and and left lateral incisors and cuspids, mandibular right and left cuspids and 1st bicuspids, the width of attached gingiva in female was significantly(p<0.05) wider than that in male group.

5. In the comparison between the Re 3 group and Re 2 group, there was no significant difference except for maxillary right and left 2nd molars and maxillary left 1st molar.

6. The frequency of gingival recession was in the order of mandibular right 1st bicuspid(16.6%), maxillary right 1st bicuspid(13.7%), maxillary and mandibular left 1st bicuspids(13.4%), mandibular left cuspid(10.5%), maxillary left and mandibular right cuspids(10.1%) and maxillary right cuspid(7.9%).