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Autogenous soft tissue grafting is a commonly performed procedure in periodontal and implant surgery. Reharvesting a connective tissue graft (CTG) from the same palatal donor site is often required, but little is known about the volumetric changes that occur after harvesting a free gingival graft and how long the palatal mucosa takes to regain its original form and thickness. This study evaluated the volumetric changes that occur at the palatal donor site after harvesting a soft tissue graft with a noninvasive digital technology. Nineteen patients needing a CTG for a single site were enrolled. Intraoral digital scans of the palatal donor sites were obtained at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The digital scans were imported and analyzed with an imaging software to evaluate volumetric changes. Average volume losses of 5.82 ± 2.63 mm3 and 11.03 ± 5.47 mm3 were observed after 1 and 3 months, respectively. Only minor changes were observed at 6 and 12 months. Linear dimensional changes at 5 and 7 mm from the gingival margin were substantially higher than the changes at 3 mm for the 1- and 3-month interval comparisons compared to baseline. Graft dimension was associated with volume loss at 1 and 3 months (P < .01). After palatal harvesting, the donor site undergoes volumetric changes, mostly during the first 3 months, and is attenuated thereafter.

Tooth malposition negatively affects the outcome of root coverage procedures, limiting chances for complete root coverage (CRC). This case series introduces a combined orthodontic-mucogingival approach for the treatment of deep (> 4 mm) isolated gingival recession defects affecting mandibular incisors with a buccally displaced root. Twenty patients were treated with a novel orthodontic device (FZ Root Torque Controller) for selective correction of tooth malposition at the affected site, turning all isolated recessions into Miller Classes I and II. Subsequent surgical treatment of the gingival recession with a vertically-coronally advanced flap plus a connective tissue graft achieved 90% CRC at the 1-year follow-up, with a recession reduction of 5.6 ± 1.5 mm, a 1.24 ± 0.24 mm increase in gingival thickness, and improved esthetic outcomes.

The gingival thickness (GT) and keratinized tissue width (KTW) constitute the gingival phenotype, a concept that has received a great deal of appreciation in recent years. Gingival phenotype modification has been achieved via different surgical techniques and grafting materials. Despite the superiority of autogenous grafts, their increased patient morbidity and limited recourse has led to the development of graft substitutes. The human dermal matrix is a notable example that, depending on its processing method, can become freeze-dried or solvent-dehydrated acellular dermal matrix (FDADM and SDADM, respectively). This article reports the 9-year outcomes of a randomized clinical trial regarding gingival phenotype modification following root coverage with FDADM and SDADM. Twelve of the original 20 patients were available at the 9-year follow-up. Overall, the outcomes of gingival phenotype modification were maintained in both groups and at all sites after 9 years. For KTW, an incremental increase was observed over time in both groups, and minimal or no changes were noted in GT from the 1-year recall to the 9-year recall. However, the gingival margin level showed an apical shift for both groups.

The coronally advanced flap technique is one of the most commonly used approaches for treating gingival recession. Several modifications of the technique have been proposed over the years, making it a highly predictable treatment option for gingival recession; however, as dental implants are structurally and biologically different from natural teeth, a further modification of the conventional coronally advanced flap technique has been suggested to overcome the challenges posed by the treatment of peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences. The present article aims to describe the state of the art of the technique at implant sites presenting with peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences, and highlight the main differences between this and the coronally advanced flap approach in natural teeth. The timing of crown removal and abutment modification/replacement are discussed, along with the different methods for management of the flap and connective tissue graft that are recommended at implant sites. The outcomes of this approach compared to the conventional coronally advanced flap technique, and other approaches are also presented. Keywords: connective tissue graft, dental implants, gingival recession, soft tissue augmentation, surgical flap Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors do not have any financial interests, either directly or indirectly, in the products or information listed in the paper.

Treatment of gingival recessions affecting mandibular incisors is scarcely documented. Despite a shallow vestibule depth being considered a poor anatomical condition, it has never been measured nor deemed a clinical parameter affecting the outcome of root coverage procedures. This study describes a vertically and coronally advanced flap (V-CAF) + connective tissue graft (CTG) technique to obtain root coverage and increased vestibule depth in the treatment of gingival recessions affecting mandibular incisors. Twenty patients with single gingival recessions were treated. The results showed that V-CAF+CTG is effective in increasing residual vestibule depth and in reducing recession depth. Immediately after surgery, a vestibule-depth increase of 5.9 ± 1.2 mm was reported, which was statistically significant compared to baseline, and it remained stable after 12 months (4.8 ± 1.1 mm). The mean percentage of root coverage was 98.3% ± 5.2% for all treated recessions, and complete root coverage (CRC) was achieved in 90% of cases (18 of 20). V-CAF+CTG could be considered a successful technique in terms of vestibule depth increase and CRC for the treatment of single gingival recessions in the mandibular incisors.

When it comes to complete root coverage of exposed root surfaces, several limiting factors have been suggested. Although tooth malposition and papillae dimension are capable of influencing root coverage, they have not received sufficient emphasis in the literature. Therefore, the aim of the present commentary is to discuss the impact of tooth malposition and papillae dimension on rootcoverage outcomes. This commentary combines evidence from the literature with the authors' experience. Limited evidence is available in the literature regarding the influence of tooth malposition on root-coverage outcomes. Severe buccal displacement and tooth extrusion and/or rotation may limit the amount of achievable root coverage, and the cementoenamel junction should no longer be considered the landmark for root coverage in these cases. The relationship between papillae dimension and root coverage has been tested in different clinical conditions and by applying different root-coverage approaches, thereby resulting in contradictory outcomes. The clinical experience of the authors suggests that having wider papillae is advantageous for coronally advanced flap and tunnel flap preparations and connective tissue graft stabilization. Although scientific evidence and the authors' clinical experience suggest that papillae dimension can play a major role in determining the surgical management of soft tissues and the amount of achievable root coverage, further studies are necessary to evaluate to which extent papillae dimensions contribute to treatment outcomes.