SEMILUNAR CORONALLY REPOSITIONING FLAP WITH OR WITHOUT MICROSCOPE

Introduction: Gingival recession, characterized by the displacement of soft tissue margin apical to the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and exposure of the root surface, poses functional, therapeutic, and aesthetic challenges. Periodontal plastic surgical procedures like the Semilunar Coronally Repositioning Flap (SCRF) aim to address this issue, enhancing patient aesthetics and minimizing root exposure. The integration of magnification tools such as surgical microscopes has refined these techniques, enabling precise and minimallyinvasive procedures, thus improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Methodology: A randomized clinical trial was conducted, including 20 sites with Millers class I or class II gingival recession in maxillary anteriors/premolars, divided into two groups: treated with SCRF without magnification (Group 1) and SCRF under a surgical microscope (Group 2). Clinical parameters including Pocket Probing Depth (PPD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Gingival Recession Height (GR), Width of Keratinized Gingiva (WKT), and Wound Healing Index (WHI) were measured at baseline and 3 months post-treatment.

Result: Results showed no significant inter-group differences in PPD, CAL, GR, and WKT scores at both time points. However, within each group, there was a significant reduction in CAL and GR scores and a significant increase in WKT score from baseline to 3 months. Additionally, both groups exhibited a significant increase in WHI, with Group 2 showing a statistically significant improvement compared to Group 1.

Conclusion: Both SCRF with and without surgical microscope demonstrated promising results in improving clinical parameters and root coverage inMillers Class I and Class II gingival recession defects. The use of a surgical microscope resulted in significantly better Wound Healing Index, indicating enhanced postoperative healing. Larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are recommended for further validation of these findings.