Introduction: Free gingival grafting is one of the most common techniques used to increase the dimensions of keratinized tissue (KT). The palatal donor sites heal with secondary intention, require a longer time, and cause discomfort to patients. This case series describes the use of platelet‐rich fibrin (PRF) membrane as a palatal bandage to cover donor sites. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report that describes the use of PRF membrane as a palatal bandage.
Case Series: Five patients requiring augmentation of KT are described in this case series. The palatal donor sites of four of these patients were covered with PRF membranes as a palatal bandage. The donor site of the fifth patient was allowed to heal in a conventional way without PRF membrane to evaluate the difference in healing. The healing was evaluated visually by hydrogen peroxide test at days 12, 13, 18, 19, 24, 25, 30, and 31. Palatal donor sites covered with PRF membranes demonstrated considerably faster healing compared with the site not covered by PRF membrane.
Conclusions: The superior healing observed at the PRF membrane sites supports its use in accelerating soft‐tissue healing. PRF membrane as a palatal bandage is an efficacious approach to protect the raw wound area of a palatal donor site to reduce healing time and patient discomfort.
Mucosal fenestrations, wherein the tooth root apices are clinically discernible in the oral cavity subsequent to loss of overlying alveolar bone and mucosa, are rare pathologic entities. Palato gingival grooves- anatomic aberrations are also infrequent occurrences that notoriously predispose to periodontal pathologies of varying extent. Both conditions independently are known to popularly affect maxillary lateral incisors. Coexistent fenestration defect and palato gingival groove in the same tooth is extremely rare and undoubtedly is a perfect combination to precipitate severe endodontic-periodontal consequences. In this report, a 34-year-old patient presented to the dental department with complaint of esthetics in relation to exposed root of right maxillary lateral incisor. On closer inspection, a palato gingival groove in addition to fenestration defect was evident on the root surface along with a periodontal pocket of >5 mm. An interdisciplinary treatment was instituted which included endodontic treatment followed by root end resection, osseous bone graft placement and guided tissue regeneration procedures for repair of mucosal fenestration defect. Debridement of the palatal pocket, with saucerization of the groove and restoration with glass ionomer cement were simultaneously employed to correct the palatal defect.
Dental therapy in general and periodontal therapy in particular is directed increasingly at the esthetic outcome for patients. Gingival recession is one of the most common esthetic concerns associated with periodontal tissues. Although various treatment modalities have been developed, subepithelial connective tissue grafting remains the most successful and predictable technique for treatment of gingival recession. Harvesting a connective tissue graft from the palate is many times not only traumatic, but also very painful for the patient. Use of single incision to harvest the subepithelial connective tissue graft is one of the least traumatic, but relatively difficult technique to accomplish. This article presents a modified single incision technique, which is not only less traumatic and painful, but comparatively simple to employ and master. Two new instruments have been introduced to make harvesting of the connective tissue graft easier.
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