Individualized digitally designed surgical template for guided soft tissue surgery in cases with severe gingival enlargement: A clinical application in hereditary gingival fibromatosis.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to present the use of computer-assisted periodontal surgery utilizing a novel surgical guide for cases with severe gingival enlargement through a clinical application in a patient with hereditary gingival fibromatosis. The treatment plan included nonsurgical periodontal therapy, surgical periodontal treatment, and regular periodontal maintenance before the initiation of orthodontic treatment. Due to the increased soft tissue thickness, a surgical guide with a novel design was fabricated to facilitate the periodontal surgery since most of the patient's teeth were malpositioned and underexposed due to fibromatosis. For this purpose, the patient's intraoral scan was merged with a CBCT image in order to plan surgical excisions based on the anatomy of the teeth and the bone contour. The customized surgical guide facilitated the gingivectomy by controlling not only the shape of the initial incisions but also their orientation toward the level of the cementoenamel junction, improving the efficiency of the clinical time compared with freehand surgery and assisting in the verification of the final soft tissue shape, based on the treatment plan. Digital technology through the superimposition of multiple data sets can assist in the diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of cases with gingival fibromatosis. The proposed design of the surgical guide can facilitate soft tissue surgery based on the digital treatment plan, leading to more predictable management of the soft tissue, especially in patients with severe gingival enlargement, as in cases with hereditary gingival fibromatosis or drug-induced gingival overgrowth.