Evaluation of the Prevalence of Different Treatment Failure Modes after Crown Lengthening Surgical Procedures

Introduction: Preservation of the health of periodontium is very important for the long-term success of restored teeth and a balance should always be created between the patients’ esthetic requirements and the periodontal health. Failures of crown lengthening procedures are classified into early and late failures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of early failures of crown leathering surgical procedures. Materials and methods: In this descriptive/cross-sectional study, 96 patients were selected from those referring to the Department of Periodontitis, Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry, who required crown lengthening procedures. The particulars of these patients were recorded in special forms and the reasons for the failure of surgical procedures were separately determined at 2- and 6-week intervals. In addition, the frequencies of the reasons for failures were determined in percentages and absolute frequencies. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) using SPSS 21. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: Evaluation of patients 6 weeks after surgery showed a failure rate of 14.5% for crown lengthening procedures in patients referring to the Department of Periodontics, Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry. The most common reasons for such early failures in the 6th week, in descending order, were a lack of sufficient keratinized gingiva around in tooth in question, fracture of the tooth structure after surgery, inadequate surgery (not creating a proper distance between the healthy margin and the crest) and the coronal returning of the gingival tissue on the tooth. A lack of sufficient keratinized gingiva around the tooth was the most frequent reason for the early failure of crown lengthening procedure at both study intervals. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the results of the present study that during the 6th postoperative week the crown lengthening procedures exhibited a 14.5% failure rate and a lack of sufficient keratinized gingiva around the tooth was the most frequent reason for early failures of such procedures. Key words: Crown lengthening surgical procedures; treatment failure; keratinized gingiva;