Assessment of thickness of palatal mucosal donor site and its association with age and gender

Abstract

Aim:The purpose of the study is to determine the thickness of the palatal mucosa by a direct clinical method, and the association of age and gender with the thickness of the palatal mucosa.Materials and Methods:Forty systemically and periodontally healthy Indian subjects participated in the study. The subjects were categorized according to age and gender. The thickness of the palatal mucosa was assessed by bone sounding. Acrylic stents provided 15 consistent locations for the measurement, defined according to the gingival margin and mid-palatal line.Results:The mean thickness of palatal mucosa was 2.48΁0.03 mm, ranging between 2.07 and 3.00 mm, among the participants. The younger age group had significantly thinner mucosa than the older age group. Females had thinner palatal mucosa than males, but not statistically significant.Conclusion:The palatal area from the distal line angle of the canine to the mesial line angle of the palatal root of the first molar provides sufficient donor tissue for grafting procedures. Factors such as body weight and genetic factors need to be further investigated. As the dimension of the soft tissue graft is an important factor influencing the success of the treatment procedure the assessment of the dimension is relevant to clinical periodontics.

Relative Composition of Fibrous Connective and Fatty/Glandular Tissue in Connective Tissue Grafts Depends on the Harvesting Technique but not the Donor Site of the Hard Palate

“…When bone sounding was performed with a sharp needle puncturing the palate, higher mean values were reported (4.4 to 5.8 mm), 27 similar to those observed in the present histologic assessment (3.7 to 4.5 mm). Further, male sex, older age, and higher body mass index have been associated with thicker palatal mucosa 8‐11,13,25 . Nevertheless, in the present study, increased palatal mucosal thickness was not associated with increased thickness of the lamina propria, irrespective of whether the cutoff value regarding presence of FGT was set to ≤25% or ≤50%, i.e., the increased thickness was mainly due to increased thickness of the submucosa.…”

“…Further, male sex, older age, and higher body mass index have been associated with thicker palatal mucosa. [8][9][10][11]13,25 Nevertheless, in the present study, increased palatal mucosal thickness was not associated with increased thickness of the lamina propria, irrespective of whether the cutoff value regarding presence of FGT was set to £25% or £50%, i.e., the increased thickness was mainly due to increased thickness of the submucosa. On average, the lamina propria extended below the epithelium to 1.5 to 2.0 mm in the marginal aspect and 0.9 to 1.4 mm in the apical aspect of the palate.…”

“…18 Palatal mucosal thickness has been previously assessed with various techniques. By means of bone sounding with a periodontal probe, [9][10][11]13,25 ultrasonic measuring device, 26 or CT measurements, 8 palatal mucosal thickness was found to be 1.8 to 3.9 mm, on average. When bone sounding was performed with a sharp needle puncturing the palate, higher mean values were reported (4.4 to 5.8 mm), 27 similar to those observed in the present histologic assessment (3.7 to 4.5 mm).…”

Evaluation of the accuracy of measuring the thickness of palatal tissue by different methods

“…Other studies characterize the region between premolars and canine as an area with better mucosa conditions, in addition to being thicker. [15][16][17][18][19] The palatal mucosa is the main donor area for use in various procedures when soft tissue is used, 1,3 there are several methods for assessing the amount of palatal mucosa invasively, using cannulas and probes, 2 the noninvasive method using techniques based on computed tomography cone beam (CBCT) is being used to obtain high quality images of the palatal mucosa, and can be very reliable to visualize and measure the thickness of the mucosa. 4,22,23 Other studies also confirm the results obtained in this study, the efficiency of the use of CBCT, allowing a clear visualization, making it possible to measure the dimensions and analyze the relationship between soft and bone tissue structures, assisting clinicians in planning preoperative.…”

“…However, each area and patient has variations in the amount available for removal. Invasive methods, such as the use of needles, 2,13 endodontic files 14 and periodontal probes [15][16][17][18][19] have been described in the literature. These methods have a great disadvantage because they require the use of local anesthesia and are performed shortly before graft removal, not allowing an accurate pre-surgical planning of the procedure.The use of an ultrasound device is a non-invasive method, it has also been described in the literature, however, this method has a certain degree of complexity in obtaining results.…”