GTR for Root Coverage: A Long-Term Follow-up

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term stability of the results obtained when guided tissue regeneration (GTR) is used to obtain root coverage. A mean root coverage of 92.3% was obtained at 6 months postoperative. However, at the final postoperative visit (mean 25.3 months), the mean root coverage was reduced to 58.8%. This difference was statistically and clinically significant. There was a statistically significant increase in recession (1.4 mm) and a statistically significant loss in attachment levels (1.7 mm) between the 6-month and final postoperative evaluations. The results of this study question the long-term stability of the result when GTR is used for root coverage.