GUIDED TISSUE REGENERATION VERSUS MUCOGINGIVAL SURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN BUCCAL RECESSIONS - A 4-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

THE 4-YEAR FOLLOW-UP RESULTS Of a clinical trial are reported. The cli nical results of the treatment of buccal recession were analyzed compa ring the outcomes of a guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedure with nonresorbable membranes and a 2-step mucogingival procedure consistin g of a coronally-positioned free gingival graft in two groups of 25 pa tients each. The final root coverage was 73.07% in the test group (GTR ) and 72.3% in the control group (mucogingival surgery). In the test g roup, statistically significant recession reduction, probing depth red uction, clinical attachment level gain, and increase of keratinized ti ssue width were observed. In the control group the results were simila r except for probing depth, which did not vary significantly. At the e nd of the 4-year follow-up period, the average periodontal conditions did not differ between the 2 groups, with the exception of the keratin ized tissue width. This was obviously greater in the control group, wh ere a free gingival graft had been carried out. Recessions greater tha n or equal to 5 mm had a greater root coverage after GTR treatment. In both groups, the periodontal parameters remained stable between 18 mo nths and 4 years after surgery, indicating remarkable stability; the o nly exception was a significant increase in the keratinized tissue wid th in the test group. When the changes between the baseline and the 4- year follow-up were compared, the average reduction in the recession w as similar in the two groups while probing depth reduction and clinica l attachment level were greater in the GTR group.