[Gingival recessions and periodontal plastic surgery]

Periodontal plastic surgery is defined as the set of surgical procedures that are performed to prevent or correct developmental disorders and anatomical, traumatic and pathological abnormalities of the gingiva, alveolar mucosa, and alveolar bone. Root coverage procedures fall under this term and have been applied for more than fifty years with varying degrees of success. There are several indications for the treatment of gingival recessions. When the treatment of choice - a conservative approach - offers no solace (any more), gingival recessions can be treated by applying periodontal plastic surgery. The goal of this surgery is complete recovery of the anatomical structures in the area of the recession. To this end several surgical techniques have been developed during the last decades. The choice of a particular technique depends on various factors, such as the number of defects, their size and the amount of keratinized gingiva around the defect.