Gingival recession treatment with concentrated growth factor membrane: a comparative clinical trial

Objective: This clinical trial sought to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of concentrated growth factor (CGF) and compare it with connective tissue graft (CTG) with coronally advanced flap (CAF) in the treatment of Miller Class I gingival recessions (GR). Methodology: This split-mouth study included 74 Miller Class I isolated (24 teeth) or multiple (50 teeth) GRs in 23 jaws of 19 patients. GRs were randomly treated using CGF (test group: 37 teeth; 12 teeth in isolated GRs, 25 teeth in multiple GRs) or CTG with CAF (control group: 37 teeth; 12 teeth isolated GRs, 25 teeth in multiple GRs). Clinical variables, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), clinical attachment level (CAL), keratinized tissue thickness (KTT), keratinized tissue width (KTW), and root coverage (RC) were assessed at the baseline as well as at three and six months post-surgery. Healing index (HI) were obtained in the second and third weeks post-surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed for the first seven days using a horizontal visual analog scale (VAS). Results: No significant change was observed in PI, GI, or PD values in either the intergroup or the intragroup comparisons. A statistically significant decrease was observed in CAL, RD, and RW, and KTT increased in all groups at three and six months compared with the baseline. The control group had greater increases in KTW, KTT, and RC at three and six months. No significant difference was found in CAL or RD at the third and sixth months between the two groups. Healing was found to be similar for both groups in the second and third weeks post-surgery. The VAS values in the control group were higher than in the test group, especially at the second, fourth, fifth, and seventh days postoperatively. Conclusions: CTG is superior to CGF with CAF for increasing KTT, KTW, and RC. CGF may be preferable due to decreased postoperative pain.