Efficacy of the lateral advanced flap in root-coverage procedures for mandibular central incisors: a 5-year clinical study.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the lateral advanced flap in root-coverage procedures for mandibular incisors and to evaluate pain after treatment. A total of 15 patients who required treatment for gingival recessions were selected from the University of Genoa Laser and Restorative Dentistry Department. The inclusion criteria were the presence of at least one 3-mm gingival recession defect of a mandibular incisor and 3 mm or more of keratinized tissue width on the immediately adjacent tooth. One calibrated masked examiner performed the clinical measurements, including recession depth and width, probing depth, clinical attachment level, and keratinized tissue width. Patients were checked 7, 14, and 30 days after surgery and were included in supportive periodontal maintenance every 4 months. Further follow-ups were done at the first, third, and fifth year postsurgery when the same baseline assessment parameters were recorded according to the root-coverage esthetic score (RES). Numeric score recorded pain evaluations showed a mean of 3 at the day of the surgery, 2 in the first day after the surgery, and no significant scores were referred in the following days. Mean recession depth was 3.2 ± 1.3 mm at baseline; at 5 years, RES showed a positive increase of all scores. The laterally coronally advanced surgical technique was very effective in treating isolated gingival recessions. It combined the esthetic and root-coverage advantages of the coronally advanced flap with the increased gingival thickness and keratinized tissue associated with the lateral gingival flap.