Gingival tissue evaluation using soft tissue-cone-beam computed tomography and root coverage esthetic score in the treatment of isolated gingival recession: A clinical study

Objectives: Comparative assessment of the effectiveness of coronally advanced flap (CAF) with subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) and the envelope technique with SCTG in Miller's Class I recession utilizing soft tissue-cone-beam computed tomography (ST-CBCT) and root coverage esthetic score (RES).

Materials and methods: Twenty patients were randomly assigned to Group I (CAF + SCTG) and Group II (envelope technique + SCTG) using the coin toss method, with 10 patients in each group. Recession height (RH) and width (RW), probing pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and keratinized tissue height (HKT) were assessed at baseline and 6 months. The thickness of keratinized tissue (TKT) using transgingival probing (TGP) and ST-CBCT and the RES were recorded at the 6^th month.

Results: On intragroup comparison, statistically significant difference was seen in the clinical parameters RH, RW, PD, CAL, and HKT, whereas on intergroup comparison, no significant difference was seen at baseline and 6 months. TKT was statistically significant at 6 months between the groups using TGP (P = 0.01) and ST-CBCT (P = 0.01). No statistical difference was seen between the methods in Group 1 (P = 0.61) and Group 2 (P = 0.62). No statistical significance was seen in the RES score (P = 0.10).

Conclusion: The study indicates the effectiveness of both the techniques, with the envelope technique demonstrating superior esthetics. Moreover, the research highlights the significance of ST-CBCT as an emerging alternative tool for assessing gingival dimensions.