Recession Coverage Using Soft Tissue Substitutes

Today, a variety of surgical procedures can be used to successfully treat gingival recession defects. Among them, the autogenous connective tissue graft in conjunction with a coronally advanced flap is commonly considered the gold standard procedure. However, the most significant disadvantages of this procedure are the potential morbidity associated with autogenous tissue harvesting and the limited availability of donor tissue. For these reasons, alternative surgical procedures using membranes, enamel matrix derivative, and soft tissue graft substitutes have been proposed and tested. The aim of the present chapter is to provide an overview on the use of soft tissue substitutes as a possible alternative to connective tissue grafts in the surgical management of gingival recession defects.