Stability of root coverage outcomes at single maxillary gingival recession with loss of interdental attachment: 3‐year extension results from a randomized, controlled, clinical trial

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the stability of root coverage outcomes 3 years after Connective Tissue Graft ( CTG ) plus Coronally Advanced Flap ( CAF ) or CAF alone at single maxillary gingival recession with minimal inter‐dental clinical attachment loss. Material and Methods Twenty‐four of the original 29 patients, 13 treated with CAF + CTG and 11 with CAF , were available for the 3‐year follow‐up. Measurements were performed by a blind and calibrated examiner. Outcome measures included complete root coverage ( CRC ), recession reduction (RecRed), Root coverage Esthetic Score ( RES ) and Keratinized Tissue ( KT ) Gain. Visual Analogue Scale ( VAS ) was used to evaluate patient satisfaction. Results After 3 years, CAF + CTG resulted in better outcomes in terms of CRC ( p = 0.0054) than CAF alone. No difference was detected in terms of RecRed, RES score and VAS values. Furthermore, CAF + CTG was associated with higher KT gain than CAF at the last follow‐up ( p < 0.0001). Conclusion Root coverage outcomes in single gingival recession with inter‐dental CAL loss are stable after 3 years. The application of CTG under CAF was associated with increased probability to obtain CRC than CAF alone at the final follow‐up.