Influence of Anatomical Factors Upon Root Coverage

Introduction: Gingival recession is a lesion characterized by the loss of attachment of root surface of the tooth, resulting in an apical migration of the gingival margin that occasionally generates aesthetic problems, hypersensitivity and difficulty in maintaining proper hygiene. Several anatomical factors have been associated both with the incidence and progression of gingival recession and with the prognosis of the surgical treatments proposed for its correction. These factors include the absence of keratinized tissue, the gingival phenotype, root prominence and shallow vesrtibular depth. Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate, through a series of prospective cases, the influence of each of the anatomical factors on the success of root coverage. Methods: 20 patients with gingival recession defects will be treated with CAF+CTG using various autogenous gingival graft. Three-dimensional analysis of superimposed preoperative and postoperative images will be performed. Linear and surface root coverage will be calculated and correlated to various anatomical parameters such as vestibular depth and root prominence. A multilevel statistical analysis will be conducted, adjusting for the correlation among multiple observations.