Oral mucosal wound healing: A photograph-based prospective study

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Wound healing research
• Tissue regeneration

Background:

• Oral mucosa demonstrates superior healing with minimal scarring compared to other body tissues.
• Intraoral tissue healing dynamics, particularly between keratinized gingiva and non-keratinized alveolar mucosa, require further investigation.
• Piezocision, a surgical technique, involves incisions through oral mucosa, periosteum, and cortical bone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the differential healing properties of keratinized gingiva and non-keratinized alveolar mucosa.
• To analyze the scar formation and healing dynamics following piezocision in these oral tissues.
• To evaluate the long-term scar visibility and healing outcomes at specific time points.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 14 patients undergoing orthodontic therapy with 26 interdental piezocisions.
• Wound evaluation using the Mucosal Scarring Index (MSI) on standardized photographs at 1, 3, 8, and 20 weeks post-procedure.
• Analysis of scar length and MSI scores to assess healing progression and final outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significant scar reduction was observed up to 3 weeks in alveolar mucosa and 8 weeks in gingiva.
• Posterior regions, especially mandibular alveolar mucosa, showed higher MSI scores at 1 week.
• By 20 weeks, 64.05% of gingival and 52.22% of alveolar mucosa incisions were scar-free, with healing stabilizing after 8 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Both keratinized gingiva and non-keratinized alveolar mucosa heal with minimal to no scarring after full-thickness incisions.
• No keloid or hypertrophic scars were observed, and final scar visibility did not significantly differ between gingiva and alveolar mucosa.
• Anatomical location influences healing outcomes, with posterior regions exhibiting less favorable results.