Gum recession showdown: which surgery works best?
NCT ID NCT07158541
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two surgical techniques—tunneled coronally advanced flap (TCAF) and modified tunnel technique (MTUN)—both using a small piece of tissue from the palate to cover a single receding gum in the lower jaw. Twenty-four adults will be randomly assigned to one procedure and followed for up to 10 years to see which provides better root coverage and reduces tooth sensitivity.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- surgical procedure (tunneled coronally advanced flap or modified tunnel technique, both with connective tissue graft)
- What this could lead to
- If one technique proves better, it could become the preferred method for covering receding gums, reducing tooth sensitivity and improving appearance.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 24 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Both procedures are surgical and carry risks like pain, swelling, or graft failure.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2037
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * at least 18 years old * good oral hygiene * presence of one recession in the premandible * good general health Exclusion Criteria: * smoker * pregnant women (assessed at each visit; if the patient appears pregnant during follow-up, x-rays will not be taken)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Periodontology and Implantology of Ghent University
RECRUITINGGhent, Oost-Vlaanderen, 9000, Belgium
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gum graft surgery: does the bed matter for thin gums?
- Boosting gum grafts: do blood or gel Add-Ons reduce shrinkage?
- Can a new flap technique better cover receding gums?
- Can smoking sabotage gum grafts? a new trial investigates
- A new twist on gum surgery could better cover exposed roots
- Laser and gel may boost gum graft recovery — trial tests the combo