Efficacy of Methods to Treat Multiple Gingival Recession Defects

October 11, 2025 updated by: Neema Bakhshalian, University of Southern California

An Open Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial to Examine the Efficacy of Methods to Treat Multiple Gingival Recession Defects

Rationale: Treatment of gingival recession defects requires coronal advancement of the gingival margin due to patient esthetic demand, tooth sensitivity and improvement of tooth prognosis, which can be accomplished either through a flap procedure or through a tunnel. It will be desirable to determine the efficacy of Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access (VISTA) to Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) procedure and intrasulcular tunneling.

Another aspect of the study is to determine whether autologous concentrate of platelets and leukocytes (leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin; L-PRF) has equivalent efficacy to connective tissue autologous graft harvested from the palate.

The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic modalities for the treatment of multiple gingival recession defects.

The study is designed as a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. Four groups will be compared:

Group 1: Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) Group 2: VISTA Group 3: Intrasulcular tunneling (IST) Group 4: VISTA + L-PRF

Each of the groups will be treated without any graft material in order to examine the efficacy of coronal advancement and periodontal root coverage without the confounding variable of graft material. These techniques don't require any additional graft if there is adequate amount of keratinized gingiva

The study population will be patients who present to Advanced Graduate Program in Periodontology at the University of Southern California, USA, and are deemed to require treatment of multiple gingival recession defects. A total sample of 100 participants (23 participants per group) will provide a two sided test of means with 80% power at alpha of 0.05. The calculation was carried out using PASS Version 12 (Hintze, J. (2014). NCSS, LLC. Kaysville, Utah.)

The study duration will be 1 year. Follow-up visits after the surgery will occur after 3 days , 7 days and at weeks 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 52. These follow up visits consistent with standard of care follow up for gingival recession treatment and there will be no additional costs to the participant.

The Primary Outcome variable is complete root coverage; the Secondary Outcome Variables are clinical attachment level (CAL) gain, changes in gingival thickness and volume and the Tertiary Outcomes are aesthetic outcomes, postoperative pain and Patient satisfaction survey

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90089
        • University of Southern California

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male and female individuals between ages of 18 to 70 years old
  • Multiple contiguous gingival recession defects on a minimum of two adjacent teeth, exhibiting 3mm or more recession on at least one of those teeth
  • No prior surgical treatment in the sites planned for therapy
  • Minimum of 2 mm of keratinized gingiva
  • Absence of cervical restorations extending to the CEJ
  • Miller class 1, 2 and 3 recession defects will be included
  • Availability to undergo treatment and return for follow up visits at specified post-operative intervals

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Molar teeth
  • Milller Class 4 recession defects
  • Pregnancy (Self-reported)
  • Smoking
  • Uncontrolled local or systemic diseases that affects wound healing (diabetes, autoimmune or inflammatory disorders)
  • Past history of systemic steroid use over 2 weeks within the last 2 years
  • Poor oral hygiene on a non-compliant individual
  • Ibuprofen Allergy/interlerance
  • Anticoagulant therapy (e.g. Warfarin, Plavix, etc.), will not be automatic exclusion but patients will be required to have INR test performed and have values between 2.0 to 3. Physician consultation will be requested to determine whether anticoagulant therapy can be discontinued for 3 days prior to surgery.
  • Objection to blood draw or application of blood products
  • Students and staff from USC Ostrow school of Dentistry will not be recruited for this study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Coronally Advanced Flap
Procedure: Coronally Advanced Flap
Coronally advanced flap will be performed. Briefly, sulcular incisions will be made. Oblique incisions will be made on each papilla requiring root coverage. In the region coronal to the mucogingival junction (MGJ), mucoperiosteal flap will be elevated. Apical to the MGJ, sharp dissection will be performed to the periosteum allowing split-thickness flap elevation to be performed. Epithelium is removed from the papillae adjacent to the recession and the flap is coronally positioned and stabilized with interproximal sutures and apico-coronal interrupted sutures to close the vertical releasing incisions.
Experimental: Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access (VISTA)
Biological: Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access (VISTA)
The VISTA approach begins with a Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access. Through this incision a subperiosteal tunnel is created, exposing the facial osseous plate and root dehiscence. This tunnel will be extended at least one or two teeth beyond the teeth requiring root coverage to mobilize gingival margins and facilitate coronal repositioning. Additionally, the subperiosteal tunnel is extended interproximally under each papilla as far as the embrasure space permits, without making any surface incisions through the papilla. The mucogingival complex is then advanced coronally and stabilized in the new position with the coronally anchored suturing technique, which entails placing a horizontal mattress suture apical to the gingival margin of each tooth. The suture is tied to position the knot at the midcoronal point of the facial aspect of each tooth, which is secured with help of composite resin to prevent apical relapse of the gingival margin during initial stages of healing.
Experimental: Intrasulcular tunneling
Procedure: Intrasulcular Tunneling
Initial sulcular incisions are made and small, contoured blades and mini curettes are used to create the recipient pouches and tunnels. The tunnel will be subperiosteal in location. The incision is extended to one adjacent tooth both mesially and distally. This incision maintains the full height and thickness of the gingival component and enables access beneath the buccal gingiva. The connective tissue beyond the mucogingival line will be dissected and free the buccal flap from its insertions to the bone around each tooth. Muscle fibers and any remaining collagen fibers on the inner aspect of the flap, which prevent the buccal gingiva from being moved coronally, are cut. The papillae are kept intact and undermined to maintain their integrity and carefully released from the underlying bone, which allows the coronal positioning of the papillae. An envelope, full-thickness pouch, and tunnel are created and extended apically beyond the mucogingival line by blunt dissection
Experimental: VISTA + Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin
Biological: Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access (VISTA)
The VISTA approach begins with a Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access. Through this incision a subperiosteal tunnel is created, exposing the facial osseous plate and root dehiscence. This tunnel will be extended at least one or two teeth beyond the teeth requiring root coverage to mobilize gingival margins and facilitate coronal repositioning. Additionally, the subperiosteal tunnel is extended interproximally under each papilla as far as the embrasure space permits, without making any surface incisions through the papilla. The mucogingival complex is then advanced coronally and stabilized in the new position with the coronally anchored suturing technique, which entails placing a horizontal mattress suture apical to the gingival margin of each tooth. The suture is tied to position the knot at the midcoronal point of the facial aspect of each tooth, which is secured with help of composite resin to prevent apical relapse of the gingival margin during initial stages of healing.
Device: Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin (L-PRF)
Immediately prior to surgery, 72 mL of blood should be drawn from each patient by venipuncture of the antecubital vein and collected in a sterile glass test tube without any anticoagulant. Tubes should be centrifuged at 2,700 rpm for 12 minutes within 2 minutes after blood draw. For individuals on anti-coagulant therapy or supplements to interfere with coagulation, centrifugation will be for 18 minute. After centrifugation, each L-PRF clot will be separated from the portion of red blood cells (red thrombus), obtaining a fibrin clot with a red small portion in order to include the "buffy" coat richer in leucocytes. The L-PRF clot is condensed and modeled on a sterile surgical plate. L-PRF will be used within 60 minutes after the preparation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Complete root coverage
Time Frame: 12 months
Complete coverage of the recession defect following surgery. It will be a binary outcome (Yes or No)
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinical Attachment Level gain
Time Frame: 12 months
Gain of clinical attachment defined by the distance between the cement-enamel junction to the depth of the periodontal pocket around the teeth measured in mm by a periodontal probe
12 months
% root coverage
Time Frame: 12 months
Percentage of the denuded root surface which is covered following the procedure
12 months
Gingival Thickness Gain
Time Frame: 12 months
Thickness of the gingival following the procedure
12 months
Gingival Volume Gain
Time Frame: 12 months
The gingival volume gain following the procedure
12 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient-reported outcomes
Time Frame: 3 days
Includes: pain experienced within the mouth as a whole, pain experienced while drinking beverages, pain experienced while chewing, pain experienced in the morning, Pain experienced throughout the day, Pain experienced at night, Edema experienced after the surgery all measure with the use of a Visual Analogue Scale
3 days
objective esthetic assessment
Time Frame: 6 months
This score evaluates five variables: level of the gingival margin, marginal tissue contour, soft tissue texture, mucogingival junction alignment, and gingival color. Because complete root coverage is the primary treatment goal, and the other variables were considered secondary, the value assigned for root coverage is 60% of the total score, whereas 40% is assigned to the other four variables.
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Southern California

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 19, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 19, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 18, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 18, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 21, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 15, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 11, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HS-16-00661

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The intra-oral clinical photography, CBCT scans, study models and clinical data will be shared with other investigators for data analysis.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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