Non-surgical management of gingival cleft.

Abstract

The aims of the present case report are to describe the non-surgical management in addition to hyaluronic acid application of two gingival recessions with cleft and to perform a narrative review on the newest evidence of non-surgical treatment of gingival recessions. A 47-year-old female patient with dentine hypersensitivity and pain during brushing has type 1 gingival recession with red Stillman's cleft on 1.4 and 1.5. The gingival defects have been treated with a Gracey curette n° 7/8 to cause bleeding. Sodium hyaluronate gel has been applied in the gingival sulcus of both elements affected. Three months after treatment the gingival tissue on 1.5 and 1.4 revealed complete healing of the Stillman's cleft and the mean value of REC depth reduced by 0.50 mm. Furthermore, four articles about this topic were selected for a narrative review. Based on the recent literature, the non-surgical treatment of Stillman's clefts and gingival recessions is not highly rated. The clinical result of this case report suggests a non-surgical method to treat Stillman's cleft. However, the evidence from a single case report is weak and more clinical trials are required to deepen the knowledge on the topic.