Surgical root coverage (RC) may reduce dentin hypersensitivity (DH), helping lessen pain that occurs when dentin is exposed. This study was recently published in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry.
Furthermore, periodontal RC surgery improved hypersensitivity in more than 93% of patients after six months, the authors wrote.
“The extent of root surface coverage achieved by surgical root coverage procedures played a key role in DH suppression,” wrote the authors, led by Romain Ohanessian of the Aix-Marseille University School of Dentistry in Marseille, France (J Esthet Restor Dent, December 3, 2025).
This retrospective study included 14 adults in France who sought treatment for one or more gingival recessions between February 2023 and October 2024. All patients reported DH that caused avoidance behaviors or notable pain. Treatment involved periodontal plastic surgery using either coronally advanced flaps or a coronally advanced tunnel with a connective tissue graft, they wrote.
At six months, researchers evaluated the prevalence of significant DH and measured surgical results by assessing root surface coverage in pixels and millimeters for teeth with and without persistent DH. Teeth were then classified as either no longer showing significant DH or continuing to show significant DH.
Six months after surgery, significant DH was present in 6.8% of teeth (95% confidence interval: 1% to 12.5%), meaning 93.2% showed suppression. Additionally, complete root surface coverage occurred in 69.6% of teeth without DH compared with 0% of teeth with DH (p = 0.0041), according to the study.
Complete root height coverage in pixels was 63.8% without DH versus 20% with DH (p = 0.0737) and in millimeters was 76.8% without DH versus 40.0% with DH (p = 0.1033). Mean root surface coverage was significantly higher without DH (88.3% ± 19.7%) than with DH (62.6% ± 28.2%) (p = 0.0031). No significant differences were found in height-based root coverage when measured in pixels or millimeters.
Nevertheless, the study had limitations. Unclear visibility of the cementoenamel junction may have reduced the accuracy of recession height and surface measurements, the authors added.
“Success of surgical root coverage, particularly the amount of root surface covered, could be a key factor in dentin hypersensitivity suppression,” Ohanessian and colleagues concluded.
