Effect of retention of gingival sulcular epithelium on attachment and pocket depth after periodontal surgery.

Both the modified Widman flap and the intrasulcular incision technique produced significant and similar reductions in pocket depth and increases in attachment. Loss of attachment occurred where the initial pocket depth was less than 3 mm. Both techniques resulted in significant and similar increases in gingival recession. Neither technique affected tooth mobility or plaque scores to a clinically important degree. Historically, the necessity for removal of the sulcular epithelium in the course of periodontal therapy is a widely accepted tenet. This study fails to clinically validate this concept.