Recession: a 4-year longitudinal study after free gingival grafts

Free gingival grafts were performed on recession areas around 42 teeth in 12 patients, with postoperative evaluation of recurrent recession after 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 months. No changes in degree of recession were observed during the 4-year period. The vestibuloplasties, which were always wider than the transplants, exhibited recurrence up to the transplant margin 6 months after surgery, while the transplants themselves exhibited an average shrinkage of 25%. In addition, 25% of the increase in vestibular depth achieved by the surgery was lost 1 month postoperatively, but there was a tendency toward increasing vestibulum depth during the ensuing 47 months. Gingival sulcus depth was not affected by the surgery.