Spontaneous improvement of gingival recession after correction of tooth positioning

A 30-year-old woman sought treatment for malpositioned mandibular incisors; the roots were positioned outside the alveolar bone, related to severe localized gingival recession. She had been previously treated orthodontically and subsequently underwent 2 gingival grafts. The new treatment included torquing the roots back within the alveolar bone and referral to a periodontist for a gingival graft. In this clinical report, the possible spontaneous improvement of gingival recession is discussed. A hypothesis described in the literature is called the "creeping attachment" phenomenon. The literature includes conflicting reports about the cause-and-effect relationship between orthodontics and gingival recession. This clinical example reports spontaneous improvement of gingival recession after correction of tooth positioning in the alveolar bone. A gingival graft can be performed after adequate root positioning in the alveolar bone housing, thus increasing the chance of achieving more favorable results.