Creeping attachment: A literature review

Objective Mucogingival surgery has been widely applied in clinics. An interesting phenomenon after mucogingival surgery is the coronal migration of gingival margin, which is described as creeping attachment. The goal of this review is to summarize the characteristics, significance, mechanism, and manifestation of the creeping attachment after mucogingival surgery and to describe the factors associated with its occurrence. Overview A total of 82 relevant articles were included in the literature review. The characteristics and significance of the creeping attachment after mucogingival surgery were analyzed. The mechanism of the creeping attachment was explored. Different manifestations of and factors associated with creeping attachment were summarized. Conclusions Creeping attachment may occur to obtain additional root coverage after the healing of various mucogingival surgeries. However, this coverage is not always complete nor entirely predictable. Clinical Significance Creeping attachment plays an important role in the prognosis of mucogingival surgeries. This review will help clinicians get a thorough recognition and understanding of this phenomenon.