Soft tissue volume gain around dental implants using autogenous subepithelial connective tissue grafts harvested from the lateral palate or tuberosity area. A randomized controlled clinical study.

Abstract

To compare the soft tissue volume gain (VG) around single tooth implants with subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) from either the lateral palate (LP) or from the tuberosity area (TA). Thirty-two patients with 36 implants with buccal volume deficiencies were randomly assigned to receive SCTG from LP (control group/CG) or TA (test group/TG). Clinical parameters were recorded. VG was evaluated by stereolithography (STL) image superimposition of two intraoral scans (baseline/BL and 3months after surgery/FU-3). Descriptive analysis was performed for both groups, and for comparisons, Mann-Whitney U test was used. In terms of VG values, no statistically significant differences were observed except for values at 6 and 7mm apically to the healing abutment which favoured the TG. Mean values were 0.69±0.23mm for CG while TG obtained 0.79±0.10mm (p=.64). Regarding Keratinized tissue (KT) width statistical significant differences were found favouring TG, which obtained a gain of 0.83±0.61mm compared with 0.22±0.48mm for CG (p=.009). Pink esthetic scores resulted in mean values of 10.07±2.19 for the CG, while TG obtained 9.15±2.34. Both procedures were effective in increasing soft tissue volume with no statistically significant differences. A longer follow-up is needed to confirm or refute these results.