Long-term Retrospective Case Series of the Pinhole Surgical Technique

The Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) was first described in the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry (IJPRD) in October 2012, in a case series involving 43 patients with 121 recession defects, including follow-up data for 37 patients with 85 Miller Class I-II recession defects over an average period of 20.0 ± 6.7 months. The current study provides a long-term follow-up assessment of 28 patients with 68 Miller Class I-II sites from the original study, with an average follow-up period of 173.8 ± 32.2 months (14.5 ± 2.7 years). The percentage of complete root coverage (CRC) for Class I-II sites was 81.2% in the original study and 77.9% in this follow-up study. The mean root defect coverage was 94.0% ± 14.8% in the original study and 86.6% ± 27.4% in the follow-up study. Within the limitations of this study's design, PST demonstrates long-term predictability and effectiveness in achieving sustained root coverage over an average period of 14.5 years.