North Texas Dentistry Convention Issue 2014 | Page 24

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SPOTLIGHT
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Case Presentation

A 45 year-old female patient presented with a cervical lesion on her maxillary right canine. Examination of the site
revealed a notch of moderate depth in the root surface
with no involvement of the crown. The marginal tissue was
mobile mucosa with an absence of attached gingiva.
There was 6mm of root exposure with no loss of interdental tissues, so complete root coverage could be achieved.
The patient has a high lipline and is concerned about the
esthetics of her smile.
Treatment decision: Root coverage grafting using an
allograft in a tunnel technique.

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Treatment
of Cervical Lesions

Cervical lesions are commonly seen in adult patients.
These lesions may be asymptomatic or they may present
patient-related concerns including sensitivity, food retention, or esthetics. Determining the proper treatment for
cervical lesions presents a perplexing problem for both
periodontists and restorative dentists because the tooth
defect is usually accompanied by gingival recession.
Restorations placed in or on root surfaces often lead to
undesirable outcomes, especially in the absence of adequate marginal gingiva.

After determining and managing the causative factors,
asking and answering six questions simplify determination of proper treatment of cervical lesions. All six questions must be answered before making the treatment
decision.

6mm root exposure with absence of
attached gingiva.

1. What are the dimen