(36) Kinetics of Gingival Margin and Thickness at Non-Recession Sites in High-Risk Gingival Recession Patients: an exploratory study using a 3D digital analysis.

Introduction: Connective tissue grafts (CTG) have become prominent for correction of gingival recession and soft tissue defects, with current literature highlighting positive therapeutic outcomes. Clinical outcome of recession treatment can be influenced by various factors such as recession type, location, tooth type, gingival phenotype, tooth brushing and amount of keratinized tissue etc. Recurrence of gingival recession following soft tissue graft can be occurred in high-risk recession patients.
In this exploratory three-dimensional study presentation, we investigate long term data on the stability of gingival location as well as gingival thickness at non recession sites in patients who had connective tissue graft procedure treating gingival recessions using 3D digital analysis.

Methods: Six patients with Recession Type (RT) II- III were treated by VISTA utilizing CTG harvested from the lateral palate. Scanned images of study casts at pre- and post-operative periods (6-66 months) were digitally superimposed for quantitative evaluation of soft tissue dimensional changes including location of gingival margin, gingival thickness, and papilla height at non -recession sites among high-risk gingival recession patients.

Results: Gingival thickness reduction ranged from 0.4 ± 0.3 mm (1 mm apical to cement-enamel junction [CEJ]) to 0.1 ± 0.2 mm (5 mm apical to CEJ) in high-risk gingival recession patients. A progression of gingival thickness reduction and apical displacement of gingival margin was observed during 66 months follow-up period.

Conclusions: High-risk gingival recession patients tend to have progression of gingival recession as well as thickness reduction. It has been observed that root coverage outcome for high-risk gingival recession patient showed less root coverage compared with low-risk patients.

Lead Author's Contributions to the Research Project. : The Lead Author was responsible for the data collection, performing the data analysis and the composition of the abstract.