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Gingival Unit Graft Versus Free Gingival Graft: 18-Month Digital Color Analysis

Clinical Outcomes and Digital Color Stability of Gingival Unit Graft Versus Free Gingival Graft: An 18-Month Comparative Digital Photographic Color Analysis Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07706257
Enrollment
40
Registered
2026-07-15
Start date
2022-03-01
Completion date
2024-12-31
Last updated
2026-07-16

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

Conditions

Gingival Recession, Mucogingival Surgery, Keratinized Tissue Deficiency

Keywords

Gingival Unit Graft, Free Gingival Graft, Aesthetics, Digital color analysis, Color matching

Brief summary

The purpose of this retrospective clinical study is to compare the long-term aesthetic integration and clinical outcomes of two periodontal plastic surgery techniques: Gingival Unit Grafting (GUG) and Free Gingival Grafting (FGG). The study evaluates the effectiveness of these procedures in increasing keratinized tissue width and assesses the color integration of the grafted tissues with the surrounding gingiva over an 18-month follow-up period using objective digital color analysis based on CIE Lab and RGB parameters.

Detailed description

This single-center retrospective study included patients treated with either Gingival Unit Grafts (GUG) or Free Gingival Grafts (FGG) for the management of Cairo Type 2 and Type 3 gingival recessions between March 2022 and December 2022. Clinical and photographic records obtained at baseline and during follow-up visits up to 18 months were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was the evaluation of color integration of the grafted tissues using objective digital color analysis based on CIE Lab and RGB parameters. Secondary outcomes included changes in keratinized tissue width. The aim of the study was to compare the long-term aesthetic integration and clinical performance of GUG and FGG and to determine which technique provides superior color matching with the surrounding tissues.

Interventions

PROCEDUREGingival Unit Grafting

Harvesting a gingival unit graft and transplanting it to the recipient area to increase keratinized tissue width and assess long-term aesthetic integration.

PROCEDUREConventional Free Gingival Grafting

Harvesting a conventional free gingival graft and transplanting it to the recipient area to increase keratinized tissue width and serve as a control group for aesthetic integration.

Sponsors

Bezmialem Vakif University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Systemically healthy individuals aged between 18 and 65 years * No systemic diseases contraindicating periodontal surgery * Not taking medications known to exert adverse effects on periodontal tissues * Presenting with Cairo Type 2 (RT2) or Type 3 (RT3) localized gingival recessions on mandibular incisors * Presence of ≤1 mm of attached gingiva resulting in difficulty maintaining plaque control * Full-mouth plaque and gingival index scores ≤1 * Bleeding on probing (BOP) \<10% * No history of prior soft tissue surgery in the designated area

Exclusion criteria

* Individuals who are pregnant or lactating. * Presenting with gingival recession or prosthetic restorations at the donor site (maxillary premolar palatal region). * Cases demonstrating caries, abrasions, or restorations on the root surfaces of the related teeth. * Individuals with known allergies to dental impression materials. * Periodontal pocket depth greater than 3 mm. * Tooth malposition. * Endodontic complications.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Aesthetic Integration (Color Evaluation)Baseline and 18 months post-surgeryObjective assessment of color integration between the grafted tissue and the surrounding gingiva using digital color analysis. Color parameters were evaluated based on the CIE Lab\* color space system and RGB color channels obtained from standardized clinical photographs. The degree of color matching between grafted and adjacent tissues was assessed over the follow-up period.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Keratinized Tissue Width (KTW)Baseline and 18 months post-surgeryThe clinical measurement of the width of keratinized tissue in millimeters, evaluated from the gingival margin to the mucogingival junction using a standard periodontal probe to determine the amount of tissue gain.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 17, 2026