title: Spontaneous improvement of gingival recession after correction of tooth positioning.
abstract: A 30-year-old woman sought treatment for malpositioned mandibular incisors; the roots were positioned outside the alveolar bone, related to severe localized gingival recession. She had been previously treated orthodontically and subsequently underwent 2 gingival grafts. The new treatment included torquing the roots back within the alveolar bone and referral to a periodontist for a gingival graft. In this clinical report, the possible spontaneous improvement of gingival recession is discussed. A hypothesis described in the literature is called the "creeping attachment" phenomenon. The literature includes conflicting reports about the cause-and-effect relationship between orthodontics and gingival recession. This clinical example reports spontaneous improvement of gingival recession after correction of tooth positioning in the alveolar bone. A gingival graft can be performed after adequate root positioning in the alveolar bone housing, thus increasing the chance of achieving more favorable results.
authors.affiliation: Associate professor, Section of Orthodontics, Dental School, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address: awmachado@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andre Wilson
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Resident, Section of Orthodontics, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: MacGinnis
authors.affiliation: Professor, Section of Periodontics, Technology and Science Dental School, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Damis
authors.affiliation: Program director, Section of Orthodontics, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
authors.forename: Won
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000637:transplantation; D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000637:transplantation; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology*; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000473:pathology; D019415:Torque
chemical_list: D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins; C109069:enamel matrix proteins