Acellular dermal matrix and coronally advanced flap or tunnel technique in the treatment of multiple adjacent gingival recessions. A 12-year follow-up from a randomized clinical trial

Aim To evaluate the long-term outcomes of Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) with Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) or Tunnel technique (TUN) in the treatment of multiple adjacent gingival recessions (MAGRs). Material and methods Nineteen of the original 24 patients contributing to a total number of 33 sites for CAF and 34 for TUN were available for the 12 years follow-up examination. Recession depth, mean root coverage (mRC), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival thickness (GT) were evaluated and compared with baseline values and 6-months results. Regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to the stability of the gingival margin. Results A highly significant drop in mRC was observed for both groups from the 6 months timepoint to the 12 years recall (p < .001). While there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), KTW, GT changes and Root Coverage Esthetic Score at each timepoint (p > .05). KTW >= 2 mm and GT >= 1.2 mm at 6-months were two predictors for stability of the gingival margin (p = .03 and p = .01, respectively). Conclusions A significant relapse of the gingival margin of MAGRs treated with CAF or TUN + ADM was observed after 12 years.