Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the influence of vertically coronally advanced flap (V-CAF) and free gingival graft (FGG) techniques on shallow vestibule depth (VD).
Materials and methods: Parallel-arm randomized clinical trial was conducted on 38 sites treated with either FGG or V-CAF. Periodontal variables (VD, recession depth and width, probing depth, clinical attachment level, keratinized tissue height (KTH), and tissue thickness (TT)), clinician- and patient-based subjective variables were assessed.
Results: All periodontal variables showed significant improvements in both groups at all follow-up intervals compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Both groups increased VD compared to baseline. RC and CRC were similar after treatment for both techniques. FGG provided a greater increase in KTH (p < 0.001) and VD (VD1, p = 0.02 and VD2, p < 0.001) while V-CAF exhibited more TT gain (p = 0.002). Except overall tissue appearance that was better in V-CAF (p < 0.001), no inter-group significant difference existed in patient-based variables.
Conclusions: Both techniques were significantly effective in VD increasing. While both techniques were equally successful in RC, V-CAF provided higher TT gain and better tissue appearance. V-CAF can be chosen instead of FGG in the treatment of recessions with shallow VD.
Clinical relevance: It can be recommended to prefer V-CAF instead of FGG in the treatment of shallow vestibule.
Trial registration number: NCT05777811 (clinicaltrials.gov).
Keywords: Autografts; Clinical trial; Connective tissue; Free tissue flaps; Gingival recession; Tissue grafts.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.