Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Semilunar Coronally Positioned Flap Alone and Semilunar Coronally Positioned Flap...

Gingival recession accounts for apical migration of the gingival margin, resulting in exposure of the cementoenamel junction and root surface, with exposure of the root surface linked to deteriorated esthetic appearance and increased dentinal hypersensitivity. Various surgical techniques have been used to correct labial gingival recession defects. The present study evaluated and compared the results of semilunar coronally positioned flap (SCPF) alone and in conjunction with free gingival graft (FGG) for the treatment of Miller Class I and II gingival recession defects in maxillary anterior teeth. A total of 20 bilateral Miller Class I and II gingival recession sites were included and randomly allocated (n = 10 sites/group) to either the semilunar coronally positioned flap technique alone (SCPF group; control) or with FGG (SCPF+FGG group; test). Longitudinal alterations in probing depth (PD), recession width (RW), recession height (RH), width of keratinized tissue (WKT), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured and analyzed for both groups at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Both groups saw a significant decrease in RH, RW, and CAL and a significant increase in WKT. No statistically significant difference was observed in the final root coverage outcome between both groups in terms of RH, RW, and CAL, but a significant increase in WKT was seen with SCPF+FGG. Both techniques demonstrated optimal results without significant differences in the final root coverage outcomes except for WKT, which had a statistically significant increase in the SCPF+FGG group.