Dimensional changes during early healing after a subepithelial connective tissue graft procedure

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Oral Surgery
• Regenerative Dentistry

Background:

• Subepithelial connective tissue graft (CTG) is widely used for gingival recession and keratinized tissue augmentation.
• Limited data exists on early healing changes (0-21 days) in tissue dimensions following CTG.
• This study investigates early bucco-lingual tissue dimension changes after CTG procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify gingival tissue thickness (GT) changes during the first 21 days postoperatively.
• To analyze the early healing dynamics of connective tissue grafts (CTG).
• To assess the transient nature of GT changes in early CTG healing.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen patients undergoing single-tooth CTG were enrolled.
• Gingival tissue thickness (GT) was measured preoperatively and at 3, 7, 14, and 21 days postoperatively using a custom stent.
• CTG was performed using an envelope technique, with GT changes analyzed via repeated-measures ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Immediate postoperative GT increased by 1.5 mm compared to preoperative measurements.
• GT showed significant increases of 96% (Day 3) and 47% (Day 7) over baseline.
• By Day 21, GT decreased 15% from baseline, showing a transient increase of 1.29 mm from preoperative levels.

Conclusions:

• Early healing of connective tissue grafts (CTG) results in a significant, temporary increase in bucco-lingual tissue dimension.
• The augmented gingival tissue thickness (GT) observed in early healing is transient.
• The increase in bucco-lingual tissue dimension typically resolves by the end of the second postoperative week.