Clinical Evaluation of Single-stage Advanced Versus Rotated Flaps in the Treatment of Gingival Recessions

BACKGROUND: Several procedures have been reported for the surgical correction of gingival recession (GR), including the laterally positioned flap (LPF) and the coronally advanced flap (CAF), performed as single or two-stage procedures without or with, respectively, the preceding placement and healing of a free gingival graft (FGG). The objective of the present report was to compare the efficacy of single-stage LPF and CAF techniques in the treatment of localized maxillary GR defects. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with Miller class I GR defects were randomly assigned to be treated by either a CAF (n=18) or LPF (n=18). Clinical parameters, including recession height (RECH), the width of keratinized tissue (WKT), probing depth (PD) and vertical clinical attachment level (VAL) were assessed at the mid-buccal site. Visual plaque score (VPS) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were also assessed dichotomously. Clinical recordings were performed at baseline, 6 months and 5 years later. Inter-measurements differences were analyzed with a Chi-square or a Wilcoxon test, with significance set at α\<0.05.