Rethinking the decision-making process to treat gingival recession associated with non-carious cervical lesions

Abstract The presence of a tooth-surface defect, such as a non-carious cervical lesion (NCCL), associated with sites of gingival recession (GR) defects creates a combined soft tissue/tooth defect (CD) that requires a different treatment plan. This study aimed to critically review the literature regarding the available treatment protocols for CDs and suggest a new decision-making process. NCCLs were classified as Class A-: the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) was visible and the root surface discrepancy was < 0.5 mm (no step); Class A+: CEJ was visible and the root surface discrepancy was > 0.5 mm (with a step); Class B-: unidentifiable CEJ without a step; Class B+: unidentifiable CEJ with a step. NCCLs affecting both root and crown surfaces (Class B) lead to CEJ destruction and consequently eliminate an important landmark used before and after root coverage procedures. The depth of the root surface discrepancy is vital owing to its possible impact on soft tissue adaptation after healing, which, in turn, may influence the treatment options, namely the use of graft and/or composites to compensate for the discrepancy. Clinically, a step with horizontal depth greater than 0.5 mm should be recognized as the minimum threshold value to define this condition. Extremely deep defects tend to assume a V-shaped topography. Therefore, extremely deep V-shaped defects were classified into subclasses A+V, a V-shaped defect, and B+V, a V-shaped defect with loss of CEJ, for management considerations. The treatment options, supported by the literature, and a decision-making process to deal with each condition are presented.

Procedimiento de descontaminación del biofilm para el tratamiento del absceso periodontal agudo y la periimplantitis / The biofilm decontamination approach for the treatment of periodontal abscess and peri-implantitis

Objetivo: mostrar el efecto de un nuevo procedimiento de descontaminación del biofilm sobre los abscesos periodontales agudos y la periimplantitis. Casos clínicos: un absceso periodontal agudo y una periimplantitis fueron tratados mediante un material de descontaminación de los tejidos bucales. Este consiste en un concentrado acuoso con una mezcla de ácidos hidroxibencensulfónicos e hidroxymetho-xybencénicos y ácido sulfúrico, que se coloca en las bolsas periodontales y alrededor de los implantes. En ninguno de los casos se utilizaron antibióticos locales ni sistémicos. Todos los casos tratados cicatrizaron rápidamente, sin complicaciones. Los pacientes sintieron una leve molestia durante la aplicación del material, que desapareció completamente en pocos segundos. Conclusión: el procedimiento de desecación del biofilm parecería ser una técnica promisoria para el tratamiento de los abscesos periodontales agudos ylas periimplantitis, con la ventaja adicional de que se evita el uso de antibióticos locales y sistémicos.