Objectives: To assess the efficacy of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique (MCAT) with a porcine dermal matrix (PDM) after a 12-month follow-up. There are no other Clinical trials evaluating a PDM over the period of 12 months.
Material and methods: Patients with recession type (RT) 1 and RT 2 gingival recessions were treated with the MCAT and a novel PDM. Plaster casts (preoperative and 12 months postoperative) were scanned using a 3Shape Lab Scanner E3. The resulting STL files were imported and superimposed in the open-source software GOM Inspect for analysis. Measurements included recession depth, mean root and total root coverage (mRC and cRC), mean recession reduction (mRR), and gingival thickness. Statistical analysis was performed using mixed linear models.
Results: A total of 77 teeth (19 patients) were included in the study. Healing was uneventful in all patients. The mean preoperative recession depth was 1.26 mm ± 0.86 mm. mRC was 69.47% ± 61.90%, cRC was 29.79%, mRR was 0.87 ± 0.83 mm, and gingival thickness gain was 0.23 ± 0.24 mm, with comparable results for RT 1 and RT 2. Neither tooth type nor jaw type had any effect on root coverage.
Conclusions: The modified coronally advanced tunnel technique in combination with the analyzed porcine dermal matrix demonstrated stable results for root coverage and gingival thickness after 12 months of follow-up.
Trial registration: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien/German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS); DRKS00023201.
Keywords: coronally advanced tunnel technique; digital measurement; gingival recession; porcine dermal matrix; recession reduction; recession type; root coverage.
© 2025 The Author(s). Clinical and Experimental Dental Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.