Background:

Tissue engineering has been developed and used in different fields of contemporary medicine and dentistry. The purpose of this study was to develop autologous grafts based on the culture of gingival fibroblasts supported in a biological matrix for the coverage of root exposure in gingival recessions.

Methods:

A healthy patient with generalized gingival recessions and limitated prognosis for mucogingival conventional procedures was treated in this study. A palatal biopsy was carried out to develop a cellular line, the gingival tissue was transported in a sterile 50 mL tube with culture medium (D-MEM). Gingival fibroblasts grew in 75 cm2 culture bottles during eight days. In confluence 1 million cells per cm2 were counted. Subsequently, they were scattered in a submucosal intestinal pig membrane (OASIS®). The bioimplant was grafted fifteen days after biopsy was taken. The receptor site was prepared with a mucoperiosteal flap design. The graft was fixed with poliglycolic acid suture, later the flap was coronally displaced.

Results:

It was observed a stable wound healing during the monitorization of the first and second month, with mature gingival epithelium on the apical third of the root coverage in the first upper right molar. No coverage was observed in the first and second upper premolars.