The aim of this study was to describe the results of teat thickness measurement applied routinely in three commercial dairy herds and to evaluate the influence of machine-induced teat thickness changes on intramammary infection and the frequency of new infection. A total of 1018 fore milk samples and the same number of teat apex measurements have been evaluated. Overall, relative teat thickness changes were normally distributed (mean -0.16%, SD 10.15%), while a specific pattern could be observed within herds. Increases in teat thickness of > 5% were significantly associated with infection and new infection (odds ratio > 1), but the association was not significant when teat thickness decreased by more than 5%. When results were classified according to aetiology, analysis showed that coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections were significantly associated with both increases and decreases in teat thickness numerically greater than 5%.