Root coverage with cultured gingival dermal substitute composed of gingival fibroblasts and matrix: a case series

Cultured gingival dermal substitute (CGDS), composed of gingival fibroblasts and matrix and fabricated using tissue-engineering techniques, has been used for root coverage procedures. Fourteen sites from four patients with > or = 2 mm of Miller Class I or II facial gingival tissue recession were treated. The autologous CGDS sheet, prepared prior to surgical treatment, was grafted over the teeth with gingival recession and then covered with a coronally positioned flap. Vertical and horizontal recession was measured at baseline (prior to the surgical procedure) and 13 to 40 weeks (average: 30.7 +/- 9.6 weeks) after surgery. The average vertical and horizontal root coverage after surgery was 79.1% +/- 25.7% and 75.2% +/- 31.4%, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant increase of keratinized and attached gingival tissue at the final clinical evaluation compared with preoperative measurements (P < .05). These results demonstrate CGDS as a promising grafting material for use with root coverage procedures in periodontal therapy.