The Impact of Root Coverage Technique on Patient-Centered Outcomes: A Case Report

Abstract

Gingival recessions are defined as the apical migration of keratinized gingiva exposing the cementoenamel junction. The treatment can be done with surgical flap coronal repositioning. The objective of this case report was to compare patient-reported morbidity reported after root coverage of teeth in two contralateral sextants with different graft types: autograft and xenogeneic dermal collagen matrix (XDCM) and their respective clinical outcomes. The patient had bilateral maxillary premolars gingival recessions with chief complaint of dentin hypersensitivity. After clinical, imaging and laboratory examination, the treatment plan was defined as coronal flap repositioning associated with connective tissue graft on the right side and XDCM on the left side. At the end of the observation period, the patient reported much more pain, discomfort, difficulty speaking, and eating on the side where the autograft was removed. The clinical results were stable on both sides. Thus, the patient's immediate postoperative experience in this clinical case suggests that the clinical outcomes were similar between the techniques used, however, with a reduction in surgical time and a reduction in morbidity on the XDCM side.