Objective: To evaluate the periodontal status of patients with oral lichen planus and compare it with that of healthy controls. The association between periodontal condition and the extent of disease in oral lichen planus patients was also examined. Method and Materials: A descriptive clinical study was made of the periodontal condition of 80 consecutive patients with clinically and histologically diagnosed oral lichen planus and 40 healthy controls. Measurements were made of the Gingival Index, Plaque Index, and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). Results: Mean CPITN scores were significantly higher in oral lichen planus patients (2.8 ± 0.7) than in the healthy controls (1.1 ± 0.8) (P .001).The patients with oral lichen planus showed no statistically significant difference in CPITN scores according to the extent of the lesions or their clinical form of presentation. Conclusion: The periodontal condition of the oral lichen planus patients was significantly worse than in the control group. Keywords: desquamative gingivitis, group control, oral lichen planus, periodontal status