Retreatment of Gingival Recessions: Rationale and Definition Case Series Follow-Up.

One of the main objectives of root coverage procedures is complete coverage of the denuded root surface. If this goal is not obtained, retreatment may be considered. This retrospective case series study evaluated the need for surgical retreatment among 105 gingival recessions, in 56 patients. Pre- and postretreatment recession depth (RD), keratinized tissue (KT) width, and attachment loss (AL) were extracted from follow-up registries. A total of 17 recessions (11 Miller Class I-II/RT1 and 6 Miller Class III/RT2) in 13 patients (nine and four, respectively) were retreated surgically. The mean follow-up was 2.2 years (range 1-9). RD and the clinical attachment level gain (CAL gain) improved significantly after retreatment (=0.0017). The linear regression model revealed a significantly higher KT gain (KTG) and reduction in residual RD (RRD), in patients with initial Miller III/RT2 recessions, when followed up for more than 1 year ( < 0.0001). The present results indicate that a root recession retreatment procedure is a viable option with high predictability and long-term stability.