Gingival thickness: effects on gingival wound healing

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Wound Healing
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Gingival thickness is linked to periodontal surgical outcomes.
• No prior studies investigated gingival thickness's effect on excisional wound healing.
• This study addresses that gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of gingival thickness on the healing process of standardized experimental gingival wounds.
• To compare wound healing rates and patient-centered outcomes between individuals with thick and thin gingiva.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving healthy non-smokers with either thick or thin gingiva.
• Creation of standardized circular buccal gingival excisional wounds.
• Assessment of wound healing using Healing Score Index (HSI), epithelialization via H2O2 test, wound area via digital photography, and patient-centered outcomes via questionnaires at D3, D7, and D14.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in HSI, wound epithelialization, or wound closure between thin and thick gingiva groups at any time point.
• Over 95% wound closure achieved by D14 in both groups.
• No significant differences in OHIP-14 scores, though the thin gingiva group reported more post-operative pain.

Conclusions:

• Standardized buccal gingival wounds demonstrate predictable healing within a short timeframe.
• Clinically determined gingival thickness does not appear to influence the rate of gingival wound healing.
• Further research may explore other factors influencing healing in different gingival biotypes.