Skip to content

Alternative Gingival De-Epithelialization Techniques

Alternative Gingival De-Epithelialization Techniques: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Enrolling by invitation
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05947305
Enrollment
48
Registered
2023-07-17
Start date
2024-04-04
Completion date
2026-07-01
Last updated
2026-01-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Recession, Gingival, Surgical Procedure, Unspecified, Graft Complication, Wound Heal

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare different de-epithelialization methods in patients undergoing soft tissue augmentation surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: • Which technique is superior for de-epithelialization in terms of remaining epithelium, wound healing of the donor site, and clinical outcomes?

Detailed description

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four surgical techniques during their surgical procedure and the wound site will be assessed on post-operative days 1, 7, 14, and 21. Researchers will compare the use of mucotome, Er:YAG laser, surgical diamond bur, or blade to observe patterns of wound healing and assess if one method is superior in terms of removing the epithelium.

Interventions

PROCEDUREEr:YAG Laser

Using an Er:YAG Laser to de-epithelialize the soft tissue intra-orally

Using a 15c blade to de-epithelialize the soft tissue extra-orally

PROCEDUREMucotome

Using Megagen Mucotome to de-epithelialize the soft tissue intra-orally

PROCEDUREDiamond Bur

Using a surgical diamond bur to de-epithelialize the soft tissue intra-orally

Sponsors

University of Michigan
Lead SponsorOTHER
Delta Dental Foundation
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification I or II * Subjects undergoing periodontal surgical procedures that involve harvesting of soft tissue samples, who have a treatment plan including the use or removal of keratinized mucosa or subepithelial connective tissue that will not require additional anesthesia for sample collection * Adequate physical and mental health to undergo routine dental treatment * Ability and willingness to follow instructions related to the study procedures

Exclusion criteria

* Poorly controlled diabetes, defined as HbA1c \>/= 7.0 * Autoimmune or inflammatory conditions such as systemic lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis. * Pregnant women or nursing mothers, or unsure of pregnancy status (self-reported) * Severe hematologic disorders, such as leukemia or hemophilia * Subjects on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy * Local or systemic infection that may interfere with healing * Hepatic or renal diseases * Currently under cancer treatment or within 18 months from completion of radio- or chemotherapy * History of antibiotic or immunosuppressant use in the last 3 months * Subjects on concomitant drug therapy for systemic conditions that may affect outcomes of the study * Current smokers (CDC definition): heavy smokers: subjects who have smoked \>10 cigarettes per day within 6 months of study onset, and have smoked \>100 cigarettes in their lifetime

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Histomorphometric ComparisonAfter Day 0 (Baseline surgery)Histomorphometric evaluation of the relative proportion of epithelial tissue remnants (percentage) after de-epithelialization of the CTG

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Surgical TimeDay 0 (Baseline Surgery)Time spent removing the epithelium (in minutes)
Patient-reported outcome measuresDays 1, 7, 14, 21 (Post-operative) after surgeryPatient-reported outcome measures regarding pain and discomfort after the procedure using a line scale (from no pain to worst pain imaginable), box scale (ranging from 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being worst pain imaginable), and a verbal rating scale (no pain, slightly painful, moderately painful, very painful, extremely painful). The number of analgesics (along with dosage) taken during the post-operative period will be recorded.
Wound healingDays 1, 7, 14, 21 (Post-operative) after surgeryWound healing comparisons using a clinical healing index (CHI) developed by Pippi et al 2015 will be completed. The possible total score is 7 (ideal score demonstrating ideal healing = 0), with scores for each section being dichotomous (0 or 1). Parameters related to clinical inspection include: mucosal color, granulation tissue, epithelialization degree, and swelling. Palpation parameters include bleeding, pain, and suppuration.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSandra Stuhr, DMD, MS

University of Michigan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026