Background: Gingival recessions are common mucogingival deformities and conditions around teeth, which are described as the apical migration of tissues in the relation to the cementoenamel junction. One of the types of graft materials used to treat these recessions is the collagen graft material. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the collagen matrix combined with the coronally advanced flap surgery method to cover dental recessions, after a 12 month follow-up period.
Methods: The following parameters were assessed in 20 patients, with 38 single or multiple Miller class I or II gingival recessions: depth of the recession-RD; width of the recession-RW; height of the keratinized tissue-HKT; and thickness of the keratinized gingivae-GT. The percentage of the root coverage after 12 months was also calculated.
Results: There was a significant difference in the RD and RW values before and after the procedure. On average, the RD decreased by 3.39 mm, and the RW by 3.87 mm. Moreover, the values of the GT and HKT, before and after the treatment, significantly increased by 0.98 mm and 1.13 mm, respectively. The partial root coverage was 43.48%, and the total root coverage was 56.52%.
Conclusion: The use of the collagen matrix with a split thickness gingival flap to cover the gingival recessions is a predictable and effective method when the clinician carefully follows the recommendation of the producer, which was confirmed in a 1 year follow-up with good clinical results.
Keywords: collagen matrix; coronally advanced flap; gingival recession; keratinized gingivae; root coverage.