The influence of non-carious lesions in the surgical treatment of gingival recession: A systematic review & meta-analysis

Background: The presence of a non-carious cervical lesion (NCCL) is a complicating factor for tooth coverage following gingival recession. It is generally associated with disappearance of the enamel-cementum junction, a key landmark, and a surface discrepancy requiring restoration or compensation using a connective tissue graft (CTG). The aim of this systematic review is to study the efficacy of periodontal plastic surgery on recession defects associated with a NCCL, with or without restorative treatment. Materials and methods: RCT assessing the root coverage of teeth with Miller's class I and class II isolated gingival recession with an NCCL published up to April 2020, with at least 10 patients per group and a follow-up longer than 6 months, were included through electronic databases and hand-searched journals. Results: Seven articles were finally included. Treatment systematically consisted of a coronally advanced flap in association with partial or complete restorative treatment +/- CTG. Meta-analyses showed that periodontal plastic procedures are less effective in terms of complete root coverage in cases of teeth with an NCCL. Overall Mean Recession Reduction was 2.00 mm (CI: [1.72, 2.28]), and overall mean complete root coverage was 5% (CI: [2, 8]). Conclusion: The presence of an NCCL is a complicating factor in plastic surgery. The use of CTG without NCCL restoration provides better outcomes except for the reduction of dental hypersensitivity for which the combined treatment (restoration + CTG) is the most effective.