Surgical Treatment of Gingival Recessions Using Emdogain Gel: Clinical Procedure and Case Reports

This article describes the clinical procedure and outcome of surgical treatment of gingival recessions with the adjunctive use of Emdogain gel, an enamel matrix derivative bioactive material for periodontal reconstructive surgery. Six cases with gingival recession on maxillary canines are presented with 12 months of followup. Initial gingival recession averaged 4.8 mm, with a mean probing pocket depth of 2.2 mm. At the 12-month follow-up, a mean of 3.5 mm of root coverage was observed (ie, 73% root coverage, range 60% to 100%). Probing pocket depth averaged 1.7 mm, indicating a 4-mm gain of clinical attachment (range 3 to 5 mm). On a clinical level, mucogingival surgery in combination with the application of Emdogain gel results in predictable root coverage and gain of clinical attachment while maintaining shallow pockets.