Gingival recession defects have traditionally been treated with various grafting procedures. Recently, guided tissue regeneration with collagen membranes has shown promising results. This article reviews the rationale, indications, contraindications, and clinical methods for the use of bioabsorbable collagen membrane barriers. Several properties make collagen membranes attractive candidates for use as barriers in guided tissue regeneration-based root coverage procedures. These include the inhibition of epithelial migration and promotion of new connective tissue attachment; the ability to aggregate platelets, thereby facilitating wound stabilization and maturation; the promotion of cellular migration and wound closure; the elimination of the need for reentry surgery; and the ability to augment tissue thickness. Cases are presented to illustrate the surgical principles and techniques.