Laterally closed tunnel Technique iEffective for treatment of isolated Mandibular Gingival Recession, suggests study
According to a new research laterally closed tunnel technique shows early clinical effectiveness in treating isolated mandibular gingival recessions, but incomplete root coverage indicates procedural sensitivity and underscores the need for larger, controlled studies to confirm its reliability. The study was published in BMC Oral Health by Tugba Sahin.
The prospective case series involved seven healthy patients (mean age 31.29 ± 8.92 years) presenting with isolated mandibular recession defects. Each patient underwent the laterally closed tunnel technique combined with SCTGs. Clinical measurements included gingival recession width (GRW), gingival recession depth (GRD), gingival thickness (GT), keratinized tissue width (KTW), and root coverage esthetic score (RES). Measurements were recorded at baseline, 1.5 months (T1), 6 months (T2), and 18 months (T3). Baseline periodontal parameters, plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, pocket depth, and clinical attachment level were assessed to confirm periodontal health. Because the data were nonnormally distributed (p < 0.05), the Friedman test and Bonferroni-adjusted Wilcoxon test were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
This study showed statistically significant improvements in specific gingival parameters after the LCT procedure.
The GRD significantly decreased (p = 0.0008), with an effective improvement in defect depth, and GT significantly increased (p = 0.0117), indicating improved soft-tissue thickness.
Other gingival parameters, such as GRW, KTW, and RE,S did not change significantly.
Most of the improvements were achieved early in the postoperative period and remained stable during the 18-month follow-up.
At T3, all patients reached partial root coverage with a mean of 42.98%. Aesthetic outcomes significantly improved at 6 months and remained stable, without statistically significant differences between time points (p = 0.93).
The LCT approach thus showed early and stable gains in the gingival recession depth and tissue thickness up to 18 months, confirming the clinical efficacy for isolated mandibular recessions. Larger controlled clinical investigations are required to confirm these results and establish if modification of the LCT procedure may improve root-coverage outcomes.
Reference:
Şahin, T. Clinical and aesthetic outcomes after laterally closed tunnel for isolated mandibular gingival recessions: Case series with 18-month follow-up. BMC Oral Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-07342-y
