The goal of periodontal plastic surgery is to develop less invasive techniques that favor rapid healing, less postoperative discomfort, and greater patient satisfaction. The inception of the surgical operating microscope and microsurgical procedures is an important step to achieve this goal. These advances could lead to more precise and less traumatic tissue manipulation, enabling precise coaptation of wound edges and healing by the first intention. Surgical trauma is minimized during microsurgery, thus less cell damage and necrosis occur, resulting in less inflammation and reduced pain. Furthermore, in root surface coverage procedures, a microsurgical approach using ophthalmic blades and microsurgical suture (6‑0) substantially improved the vascularization of the grafts as compared with applying a conventional macroscopic approach.
The coronally advanced flap (CAF) procedure is a very common approach for root coverage. This procedure is based on the coronal shift of the soft tissues on the exposed root surface. It has been documented as an effective surgical technique and a predictable mucogingival surgical procedure used to achieve root coverage in the treatment of Millers Class I and II gingival recessions.