Aim of the study. To assess if vestibular deepening
improves periodontal parameters of mandibular
anterior teeth with gingival recessions. Materials
and methods. Ten anterior mandibular teeth in
ten patients aged 20 to 49 years with gingival
recessions and gingivitis at the mandibular incisors,
shallow vestibule and pull-syndrome were examined.
Vestibular deepening was performed with modified
Kazanjian vestibuloplasty. Probing pocket depth
(PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival
recessions (GR), keratinized gingiva (KG), depth of
vestibule (VOD), presence of plaque and bleeding were
assessed for 98 teeth in total at baseline and at three
and twelve months after surgery. Results. Three and
twelve months after surgery there was a statistically
significant improvement in PPD, CAL and GR when
compared to baseline. Mean PPD, CAL and GR were
lower (0.3 mm, 1.0 mm and 0.7 mm, respectively) at
labial surface of central incisors, and KG significantly
increased at labial surface of central and lateral
incisors (0.8 mm and 0.6 mm, respectively). The
vestibule was deeper at central and lateral incisors,
canines and first premolars (3.8 mm, 3.3 mm, 2.3
mm and 0.5 mm, respectively) and the presence of
bleeding and plaque was reduced at all assessed
teeth. Conclusions. Vestibuloplasty positively changed
periodontal parameters at incisors with gingival
recessions and did not adversely affect teeth that did
not present recessions at the baseline. This type of treatment could be an attractive alternative in patients
presenting Class III and IV recessions in cases when
tissue grafting is not possible and less predictable.