Objective evaluation of healing and esthetic outcome of root coverage procedure using chorion membrane: a case series.

The ultimate goal of any periodontal plastic surgery aimed to treat gingival recession is predictable recession coverage and esthetic outcome. Due to the post-operative morbidity and discomfort related to subepithelial connective tissue graft, various other methods have been introduced including the use of fetal membranes. The fetal membranes have shown promising results in medicine and recently in the field of regenerative dentistry and could possibly become a viable alternative to autogenous grafts. This article reports a series of cases of Miller's class I gingival recession that were treated by chorion membrane combined with coronally advanced flap and evaluated using objective variables for post-operative healing and esthetics. Nine systemically healthy subjects with ten Miller's class I buccal gingival recession were included in the study. Clinical parameters were recorded at baseline, 3 months and 6 months post-surgery; wound healing index (WHI) was recorded one week post-surgery. At the end of 6 months, the percentage of root coverage and the root coverage esthetic score (RES) were calculated. The results showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvement in most of the parameters. The mean percentage of root coverage obtained was 62.20 ± 21.99% ranging from 33.3 to 100%. The WHI showed excellent healing score and RES assessed at the end of six months showed superior esthetic results. The chorion membrane along with coronally advanced flap is a predictable procedure for root coverage with better post surgical healing and superior esthetics.