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Papilla healing following sulcular full thickness flap in endodontic surgery
Peter Velvart1, Ursula Ebner-Zimmermann, Jean Pierre Ebner
1endo@velvart.ch
Objective:
The objective was to analyze recession of the interdental papilla in periodontally healthy situations following apical surgery using sulcular flap incisions.
Study Design:
Apical surgeries were performed in 13 patients with good periodontal health. A sulcular full thickness flap involving at least 1 interproximal space was raised, using microsurgical instruments and magnification with the least possible trauma. The papillae were closed with vertical mattress sutures (polyamide 6/0) and removed after 3-5 days. The height of the interdental papilla was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 month and 3 months using plaster casts and measured with a laser scanner. Thirteen surgical sites were compared to untreated papillae. The pairwise t test was used for statistical analysis.
Results:
All experimental sites exhibited a significant loss of papilla height at 1 month (P <.003) and 3 months (P <.004). At 3 months retractions increased in 10 sites, while in 3 sites the loss had diminished compared to the 1-month value.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that the conventional sulcular flap results in considerable retraction of the papilla height after 1 month and 3 months postsurgically.
