Partial-Full-Thickness Tunnel Technique for Periodontal Regeneration: Technical Description and Report of Two Cases

The integrity of periodontal soft tissues during healing plays a critical role in the success of surgical periodontal regenerative therapy. Wound dehiscence can lead to compromised regenerative outcomes and gingival recession. This manuscript introduces the use of the partial-full-thickness (PFT) tunnel for periodontal regeneration of multiple adjacent infrabony defects. The PFT tunnel technique maintains intact interdental papillae, enables access to defects, and facilitates coronal advancement of the soft tissue. When combined with palatal vertical incision this approach also enables treatment of bony defects that extend toward the palatal aspect. Placement of biomaterials in osseous defects displaces the overlying soft tissue coronally, thereby creating and maintaining space for clot stabilization and tissue regeneration. It also leads to significant enhancement in interproximal clinical attachment levels, probing depth reduction, and root coverage. Preliminary clinical outcomes indicate that this technique could be an alternative option for treating multiple infrabony defects.