Comparative clinical evaluation of acellular dermal matrix allograft and connective tissue graft for the treatment of gingival recession

"Gingival recession is a condition reported to occur due to abnormal periodontal anatomy, poor hygiene, excessive occlusal forces, toothbrush abrasion, and even iatrogenic or factitious causes. Though various surgical techniques are available to treat this problem, the most common is the palatal soft tissue autograft. Recently, an acellular dermal matrix allograft (ADMA) has been available as a substitute for the palatal tissue harvest. The aim of this study is to compare the ADMA with the conventional subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) in the treatment of gingival recession." Fourteen patients with 20 gingival recessions of Miller's grade I and II were selected and randomized in two groups of control (SCTG ) and test (ADMA). In each group ten recession defects were treated. The following parameters were measured at baseline and then at six months post surgery: recession height (RH), recession width (RW), probing depth (PD), attached gingiva (AG), keratinized gingiva (KG), and clinical attachment level (CAL). All parameters were analyzed using the two-sample t-test. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 11) software. The following mean changes (mm) occurred in SCTG and ADMA, respectively: 2.60+/-0.97 and 2.90+/-0.81 decrease in RH; 1.70+/-1.01 and 1.65+/-0.67 decrease in RW; 2.50+/-0.97 and 2.95+/-0.69 increase in KG; 2.25+/-0.92 and 2.65+/-0.85 increase in AG; 2.60+/-1.08 and 2.75+/-0.92 decrease in CAL; and finally 0.05+/-0.50 and 0.10+/-0.46 decrease in PD for the SCTG and ADMA groups, respectively. The percentage of root coverage for the two groups was 70.12%+/-22.81% and 72.08%+/-14.12%, respectively. The changes from baseline to the six-month visit were significant for both groups in terms of all parameters but PD. However, the differences in mean changes were not significant between the two groups in any of the parameters. These findings imply the ADMA and SCTG techniques could produce the same results when used for the successful treatment of gingival recessions. In addition the ADMA could be used as an adequate alternative treatment modality for conventional techniques.