Conventional to minimally invasive root coverage procedures: Evidence-based literature review

Abstract

In dentistry, various root coverage procedures (RCPs) are practising to treat gingival recession, still achieving complete root coverage (CRC) is more challenging. It even scales from conventional to advanced surgical RCP. The most important factor in achieving CRC is a proper presurgical evaluation by assessing the dimension of hard and soft tissues. Following the miller classification system, it helps to guide and predict successful RCP. Despite this, many dentists have struggled to implement RCP in their daily work. This article explains an evidence-based literature review to decide their actual outcomes, to address differing opinions and make informed choices before using various RCP. This will make a clinician choose the ideal RCP (either conventional or minimally invasive procedures) for the case at hand. To ensure that the expertise was accurate, an online search was conducted on the PubMed/Medline site. This included articles published between 2000 and 2019, all of which are related to positive results and the success rate of various RCP. A total of 796 articles of these were related to the RCP. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select relevant papers. This review article aims to highlight the fact that RCP is believed to produce successful results. Advanced treatment mode of RCP aids in achieving a higher degree of performance than conventional RCP. For localized and generalized defects, subepithelial connective tissue graft, coronally advanced flap (CAF), and CAF + connective tissue graft are considered a more predictable option. However, there are several drawbacks to this RCP that must be found and addressed.