Double lateral sliding bridge flap versus laterally closed tunnel for the treatment of single recessions in the mandibular anterior teeth: A pseudorandomized clinical trial

Abstract

[EN]This study compard the clinical and esthetic results of the double lateralsliding bridge flap (DLSBF) and the laterally closed tunnel (LCT) techniques, with a subepithelial con-nective tissue graft (SCTG), for the treatment of single Miller class II-III recessions in the mandibularanterior teeth. (2) Methods: This pseudorandomized clinical trial evaluated 14 patients, 7 of whomwere part of the DLSBF + SCTG group, with an average follow-up of 58.7 ± 24.0 months, and 7 ofwhom were in the LCT + SCTG group, with an average follow-up of 16.7 ± 3.3 months. Clinical andesthetic evaluations of the following parameters were performed and the results for the two groupswere compared: gingival recession depth, probing depth, keratinized tissue width, gingival thickness,percentage of root coverage and root coverage esthetic score. (3) Results: After the follow-up period,each technique provided evidence of a reduction in recession depth and clinical attachment level,as well as increased keratinized tissue width and gingival thickness, with statistically significantdifferences (p < 0.05). The analysis showed that gingival recession depth decreased less in the DLSBFgroup (4.3 ± 1.2 mm to 0.6 ± 1.1 mm) than it did in the LCT group (4.9 ± 1.1 mm to 0.1 ± 0.4 mm),but no significant difference was found between the two groups. Similarly, a greater reduction inthe clinical attachment level parameter was observed in the LCT group, while a greater increase ingingival thickness was observed in the DLSBF group. The presence of scars was the only parameterfor which statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two study groups were found.(4) Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, it indicates that the LCT + SCTG techniquemay be considered an optimal technique in terms of reducing gingival recession depth, completeroot coverage and esthetic results for the treatment of single gingival recessions in the mandibularanterior! teeth.