Objetive To determine the prevalence of gingival biotypes in patients with permanent dentition in the city of Trujillo, Peru. Methods Descriptive, observational and cross‐sectional study was carried out at the dental clinic of the Unit of Second Specialization in Stomatology (USEE) of the National University of Trujillo, during the months of January to June 2015. Information was collected on the gingival biotype, interdental papilla height and shape of the teeth using an OMS periodontal probe. Data was obtained from three calibrated observers. Analysis of binary logistic regression (α = 0.05) was used to compare the gingival biotype to the interdental papilla height, the shape of the teeth, age and gender. Results The sample consisted of 286 patients. The prevalence of thick gingival biotype was 61.2% and thin gingival biotype was 38.8%. In addition, it was found that the gingival biotype is closely related to gender, the interdental papilla height, tooth shape and age. Conclusions The people in the city of Trujillo, Peru, have a thick gingival biotype and this is closely related to gender, the interdental papilla height, tooth shape and age. The thin gingival biotype is more common in women and young people.