title: Long-Term Stability of Root Coverage by Coronally Advanced Flap Procedures.
abstract: This study compared 6-month and 3-year outcomes for root coverage (RC) by coronally advanced flap (CAF) procedures in localized gingival recessions.
  
  
  
  Two centers, that had participated in a 6-month multinational multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT), followed up 18 patients with 36 Miller Class I and II defects that had been treated in a split-mouth design with CAF procedures or CAF + xenogeneic collagen matrix (CMX). Percentage of RC, complete root coverage (CRC), width, and thickness of keratinized tissue were assessed by the same masked examiners as after the 6-month RCT.
  
  
  
  There was a high correlation between 6-month and 3-year RC outcomes for both CAF procedures. Mean RC after CAF + CMX amounted to 89.9% after 6 months and 91.7% after 3 years (Pearson's correlation: 0.91). Corresponding values for CAF were 83.7% versus 82.8% (Pearson's correlation: 0.94). Likewise, CRC was stable with 61%/61% for CAF + CMX and 39%/39% for CAF after 6 months/3 years, respectively.
  
  
  
  In this 3-year follow-up of a subgroup of patients from a previous 6-month RCT, there was a high correlation between the results for RC after 6 months and 3 years, indicating their stability. These data suggest that 6-month outcomes may be useful to predict long-term outcomes in CAF procedures with or without additional use of CMX.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Operative and Preventive Dentistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jepsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zucchelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Operative and Preventive Dentistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jepsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000637:transplantation; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000601:surgery; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen
keywords: Biocompatible materials; collagen; gingival recession; tissues regeneration; tooth root