The gingival recession and gingival graft in orthodontic treatment

Vol. 1 – Number 1 – 2008 Case report Pages 37-47 The gingival recession and gingival graft in orthodontic treatment Orlando Tanaka* Beatriz Young Lon** Ivan Pedro Taffarel*** Luis Filipe Siu Lon**** Saulo Regis de Oliveira-Junior***** TANAKA O, YOUNG LON B, TAFFAREL IP, SIU LON LF, OLIVEIRA-JUNIOR SR de. The gingival recession and gingival graft in orthodontic treatment. 2008; 1(1); 37-47. The possible causes of gingival recession include alveolar bone defects, dehiscences and fenestration, and gingival thickness might create an environment to develop gingival recession in patients with orthodontic care. Indications of root coverage techniques as well as gingival grafts, guided tissue regeneration and regenerative methods were also evaluated. The preorthodontic gingival grafts procedures might be indicated in areas with thin gingival thickness, alveolar bone dehiscences and fenestration previously diagnosed. In some cases, it is wiser to “wait and observe” and then suggest the best root coverage technique, because some orthodontic movement can move the teeth into alveolar bone and will probably produce a gingival graft as in clinical case presented. It can be concluded the orthodontic tooth movement does not cause gingival recession; however, gingival soft tissue conditions should be evaluated before orthodontic treatment. KEYWORDS: Gingival recession. Gingival graft. Orthodontics. Periodontics. * PhD in Dentistry – Orthodontics – FO-UFRJ; Full Professor – Course of Dentistry – CCBS – PUCPR; Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees in Dentistry – Orthodontics; Diplomate of the Brazilian Board of Orthodontics. **Dentist surgeon graduated by PUCPR. ***Dentist Surgeon graduated by PUCPR; Specialist in Orthodontics by ABO-PR. **** Dental surgeon graduated from PUCPR; Specialist in Orthodontics, UMESP-SP; Master’s Degree Student at the Postgraduate Program in Dentistry-Orthodontics, PUCPR. ***** Dental surgeon, UFBA; Fellow of the Tutorial Education Program – PET-MEC; Master’s student of the Postgraduate Program in Dentistry-Orthodontics, PUCPR.