Different Suture Diameters in Periodontal Plastic Surgery

This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to compare the clinical outcomes of using non-resorbable polyamide sutures of different diameters (3.0 vs. 6.0) for securing an advanced coronary flap (CAF) and subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) in the treatment of RT1 gingival recessions (as classified by Cairo et al.).

Forty patients presenting with at least one RT1 recession will be enrolled in the study. Twenty participants will undergo CAF + SCTG sutured with non-resorbable polyamide thread of 3.0 diameter, while the other 20 participants (control group) will receive the same procedure sutured with a 6.0 diameter thread. The primary outcome, complete root coverage (CRC), will be assessed six months after treatment.

Additional clinical parameters, including gingival recession (GR), clinical attachment level (CAL), pocket depth (PD), keratinized tissue width (KT), keratinized tissue thickness (GT), and Root Coverage Esthetic Score (RES), will be evaluated at baseline and at the six-month follow-up.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) will also be measured, including the degree of general discomfort (D) experienced, assessed on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0 to 10, as well as patient-reported aesthetic satisfaction (PRES) and overall treatment satisfaction (OTS), both quantified on a VAS scale from 0 to 10.