The Use of a Bioabsorbable Barrier for Regenerative Management of Marginal Tissue Recession. I. Report of 100 Consecutively Treated Teeth

Background: Periodontal plastic surgical procedures aimed at coverage of exposed root surfaces have evolved into routine treatment modalities. The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness and the predictability of a bioabsorbable barrier in the treatment of human recession defects utilizing a single‐step surgical procedure.Methods: One hundred consecutive single and multiple adjacent Miller Class I, II, and III buccal recession defects in 41 patients were treated with a combination of a bioabsorbable barrier and coronally advanced flap technique. Clinical parameters were recorded immediately prior to surgery, at 3 months, and after a minimum of 6 months.Results: A highly significant reduction in recession depth from a mean value of 3.2 ± 0.9 mm preoperatively to 0.3 ± 0.5 mm postoperatively, corresponding to a mean root coverage of 92.7% ± 14.1%, was obtained. Complete (100%) root coverage was obtained in 75% of the sites. Factors adversely affecting root coverage were membrane exposure postoperatively and preoperative recession depth ≥4 mm. In addition, inferior results were achieved at mandibular incisor and maxillary molar sites. Factors having no effect on root coverage included maxillary versus mandibular sites and single versus multiple adjacent sites.Conclusions: The use of guided tissue regeneration in periodontal plastic surgery is highly predictable, and highly esthetic root coverage can be gained without requiring a second surgical procedure or a second surgical site and is, therefore, an attractive alternative to conventional grafting techniques. J Periodontol 2000;71:1641‐1653.