Microcurrent electrotherapy improves palatal wound healing: Randomized clinical trial.

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Palatal wound healing after free gingival graft (FGG) harvest can be associated with discomfort and delayed recovery.
• Assessing novel therapeutic modalities for optimizing palatal wound healing is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of microcurrent electrotherapy in enhancing palatal wound healing.
• To assess clinical, immunological, and patient-centered outcomes following microcurrent electrotherapy application.

Main Methods:

• A parallel, double-masked randomized clinical trial involving 53 patients undergoing FGG harvest.
• Patients were assigned to either a control (sham electrotherapy) or test (microcurrent electrotherapy) group.
• Clinical parameters, patient-reported pain, Oral Health Impact Profile, and inflammatory markers were monitored up to 90 days postoperatively.

Main Results:

• The microcurrent electrotherapy group demonstrated significantly earlier wound closure and epithelialization compared to the sham group.
• Patients receiving microcurrent electrotherapy reported less pain and improved oral health impact.
• Favorable modulation of inflammatory markers associated with wound healing was observed in the electrotherapy group.

Conclusions:

• Microcurrent electrotherapy may accelerate palatal wound healing after FGG harvest.
• This therapeutic approach can decrease patient discomfort and improve overall outcomes.
• Low-intensity electrotherapy presents a promising adjunctive treatment for optimizing wound healing processes.