Root Coverage Procedures in HIV Positive Populations: A Case Series

Objectives: This case series analyzed outcomes of root coverage procedures in HIV positive and negative populations. Methods: Data was extracted from the AxiUm online database and separated for comparison. Data from 11 non-smoking patients was analyzed; six HIV positive patients and 5 HIV negative. Patients were referred for treatment of gingival recession to the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. There were no contraindicating medical factors for performing these surgical procedures. All 11 patients underwent surgical connective tissue grafts, performed by two knowledgeable operators. The location, extent and severity of gingival recession were recorded based on Miller’s classification. Pre- and post- surgical gingival measurements including recession depth, recession width, width of keratinized tissue, color, bleeding on probing, and probing depth were recorded. Details of the procedures, and the post-operative visits (1-week, 2-week, 4-week, and 6-month) were recorded. Still images were captured at pre-surgical and 6-month post-surgical visits for all participants; videotaping was done for a few. Results: Analysis of all surgical outcomes indicated that there was no increased occurrence of intra-operative or post-operative complications such as infection, bleeding, graft sloughing, wound dehiscence, pain, sensitivity, or hematoma formation in HIV positive individuals when compared to HIV negative participants. In all patients, recession depth and width values had decreased 6-months following connective tissue grafting. Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest that the presence of HIV does not affect outcomes following root coverage procedures.