Comparison of semilunar coronally advanced flap alone and in combination with button technique in the treatment of Miller's Class I and II gingival recessions: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND Gingival recession (GR) is one of the most common esthetic and functional concerns associated with periodontal disease. A variety of surgical procedures has been introduced to the field of cosmetic periodontology for the treatment of GR. AIM To evaluate and compare the clinical outcome of semilunar coronally advanced flap (SCAF) with and without button technique in the treatment of Miller's Class I and II GRs. STUDY DESIGN A total of 12 subjects with bilateral single Miller's Class I and II recession were selected for the study. Split mouth design was used. MATERIALS AND METHODS Surgical sites were randomly divided into test and control groups. In control sites, SCAF alone was done whereas in test site, a combination of SCAF and button technique was performed. The clinical parameters including GR, periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level (CAL), and width of keratinized gingiva were recorded at baseline and 6 months postsurgery. Data so collected were put to statistical analysis. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Student's t-test was used to find significance of parameters between baseline and 6 months. For inter-group comparisons paired t-test was performed. RESULTS Statistically significant improvements were recorded in both groups from baseline to 6 months. Inter-group comparison yielded statistically significant differences in GR and CAL in favor of test group. CONCLUSION Combination of SCAF and button technique resulted in statistically significant improvements in clinical parameters as compared to SCAF alone. Future clinical studies with much larger sample size and longer follow-up periods are warranted.