In a previous 3-year longitudinal study, reversal of gingival recession in mandibular incisors was observed for 16 out of 28 participating children aged 6-13 years (Andlin-Sobocki et al., 1991). In the present report various dentofacial conditions that might be associated with this reversal were evaluated from dental casts and cephalometric radiographs by comparing the 16 children with spontaneous reversal of gingival recession (Group Rev) to the 12 children with persisting gingival recession (Group Per). Dental casts and cephalometric radiographs were obtained at baseline and after three years. The findings indicate that the children with persisting gingival recession tended to have a particular facial morphology and incisor pattern. They were likely to have a larger basal bone discrepancy between the maxillary and mandibular jaws, with somewhat more proclined and more irregularly positioned mandibular incisors. Although a reduction in incisor irregularity and a slight increase in anterior arch widths occurred for both groups during the observation period, the tooth alignment situation in Group Per at the end of the observation period was similar to that of Group Rev at baseline. Additionally, in Group Rev all facially deviating incisors with recession at baseline had self-corrected at 3 years. This was not the case for Group Per. Thus, spontaneous reversal of gingival recession in mandibular incisors seem to be related to developmental changes in the dentition favouring incisor alignment.