AbstractAn investigation of disparate gingival heights of the mandibular central incisor region in 93 children aged from 6 to 12 years was undertaken. Unaffected paired teeth demonstrated an age‐associated increase in clinical crown length, similar to previous reports, suggesting a gradual remodelling of soft tissues. Affected teeth displayed a rapid increase in clinical crown length suggesting that by age 10 years true recession had occurred. Significant associations with gingival inflammation (at the 0.1 % level), and with anterior crowding (at the 0.2 % level), occurred. Frenal involvement did not influence the position of the gingival margi