The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the development/progression of attachment loss and gingival recession at buccal tooth surfaces in a population sample with a high standard of oral hygiene. An additional aim was to study the relationship between attachment loss and gingival recession. The subject sample examined comprised 225 regular dental care attendants at 12 community dental clinics in Sweden. All subjects were subjected to a baseline examination in 1977-78 and were re-examined after 5 years and 12 years. The clinical examinations involved assessment of plaque, gingivitis, probing depth, probing attachment loss and gingival recession. A full-mouth set of intraoral radiographs was obtained at each examination and used for determination of the height of periodontal bone support. The results of the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses performed showed that in subjects with a high standard of oral hygiene (i) buccal gingival recession was a frequent finding, (ii) the proportion of subjects with recession increased with age, (iii) the prevalence as well as the incidence of recessions within the dentition showed different patterns depending on age, (iv) sites with recession showed susceptibility for additional apical displacement of the gingival margin and (v) loss of approximal periodontal support was associated with gingival recession at the buccal surface.