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Keratinized mucosa (KM) is regarded as a key factor in peri-implant health. A lack of KM has been associated with discomfort, higher plaque accumulation, and mucosal inflammation. Persistent inflammation might lead to progressive periimplant bone loss. Several approaches to manage peri-implantitis have been advocated. Despite the effectiveness shown by surgical therapeutic modalities, soft tissue conditioning seems pivotal for long-term peri-implant health and stability. Free epithelial grafts have been demonstrated to efficiently augment the band of KM. Nevertheless, morbidity, dynamic soft tissue changes, and longer healing periods are shortcomings to be considered. The purpose of this technical note is to provide an alternative therapeutic modality for the surgical management of peri-implantitis combined with simultaneous soft tissue conditioning by means of pedicle flaps. Three main clinical scenarios are provided to conceive pedicle epithelial or connective tissue flaps, combined or not with collagen matrices, as predictable approaches to augment KM in the surgical therapy of peri-implantitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When it comes to complete root coverage of exposed root surfaces, several limiting factors have been suggested. Although tooth malposition and papillae dimension are capable of influencing root coverage, they have not received sufficient emphasis in the literature. Therefore, the aim of the present commentary is to discuss the impact of tooth malposition and papillae dimension on root-coverage outcomes. This commentary combines evidence from the literature with the authors' experience. Limited evidence is available in the literature regarding the influence of tooth malposition on root-coverage outcomes. Severe buccal displacement and tooth extrusion and/or rotation may limit the amount of achievable root coverage, and the cementoenamel junction should no longer be considered the landmark for root coverage in these cases. The relationship between papillae dimension and root coverage has been tested in different clinical conditions and by applying different root-coverage approaches, thereby resulting in contradictory outcomes. The clinical experience of the authors suggests that having wider papillae is advantageous for coronally advanced flap and tunnel flap preparations and connective tissue graft stabilization. Although scientific evidence and the authors' clinical experience suggest that papillae dimension can play a major role in determining the surgical management of soft tissues and the amount of achievable root coverage, further studies are necessary to evaluate to which extent papillae dimensions contribute to treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several techniques involving the harvesting of a soft tissue graft from the palate have been proposed for regenerating keratinized mucosa (KM) at implant sites. However, patient morbidity and poor esthetic outcomes are considered the main drawbacks of these approaches. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and evaluate a new technique for harvesting keratinized tissue from the adjacent labial site (labial gingival graft [LGG]), in combination with a xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) or a connective tissue graft (CTG). Eighteen patients were enrolled and participated in this case series. The primary outcomes were KM gain after 12 months and patient-reported satisfaction, esthetics, and morbidity using a visual analog scale (VAS). All treated sites healed uneventfully, showing a mean KM gain of 6.8 ± 2 mm. The average VAS score for patient satisfaction and the self-reported esthetic outcomes were 95.6 ± 6.9 and 93.4 ± 9.2, respectively, and the score for morbidity was 22.8 ± 22.3. However, the VAS score for morbidity dropped to 8.7 ± 8.4 when CTG-treated subjects were excluded. Higher esthetic results were observed when XCM was used instead of CTG and when LGG was harvested from the anterior region of the implant site (P < .05 for both comparisons). LGG with XCM or CTG is a viable technique for regenerating KM at implant sites with high patient satisfaction and esthetics and low morbidity outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several approaches for peri-implant soft tissue augmentation have been proposed, including autogenous soft tissue grafts and substitutes. Palatal pedicle flaps have been introduced for increasing facial soft tissue thickness, improving esthetics, and achieving primary closure following alveolar ridge preservation or guided bone regeneration. The main advantage of these approaches is to maintain the vascularization of the flap, which may result in better healing and less shrinkage than graft-based procedures. Nevertheless, different clinical scenarios require different palatal pedicle flaps. The aim of this article was to present several palatal pedicle flap techniques for periimplant soft tissue augmentation and alveolar ridge preservation, showing flap designs and the main advantages through case presentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maxillary sinus augmentation is a procedure commonly performed in patients in need of posterior maxillary implants with limited vertical ridge height and sinus pneumatization. However, minimal information has been presented to evaluate the complexity of the sinus elevation procedure via a lateral window approach based on patient examination, including extraoral findings, anatomical factors, and the possible influence from the surgeon’s experience. Therefore, this article presents a new scheme of maxillary sinus floor elevation difficulty score based on comprehensive patient- and surgical-related factors. The proposed scoring tool aims to aid surgeons in performing a comprehensive presurgical evaluation prior to the lateral wall sinus augmentation surgery and also enhance communication between clinicians and patients regarding the complexity of the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of implant and surgical characteristics on the mucosal vertical dimension components. Mucosal vertical dimension consists of the sulcular epithelium and the supracrestal tissue attachment, which can be clinically measured from the gingival margin to the bone-to-implant contact. Connective tissue attachment is measured from the apical border of attached epithelium to the first bone-to-implant contact, while epithelial vertical dimension is measured from the mucosal margin to the apical border of attached epithelium. Materials and Methods: An electronic and manual search for relevant articles published from January 1980 to May 2019 was performed. Animal studies of ≥ 10 implants followed by histometric analysis were included. Quality assessment was performed using the ARRIVE guidelines, and risk of bias assessment was performed using SYRCLE guidelines. Subgroup meta-analysis was performed to analyze the influence of different surgical approaches and implant design. Results: A total of 38 articles were included. The mean value and corresponding standard error of mucosal vertical dimension, supracrestal tissue attachment, connective tissue attachment, and epithelial vertical dimension were 3.39 ± 0.07 mm, 2.9 ± 0.12 mm, 1.35 ± 0.04 mm, and 2.0 ± 0.06 mm, respectively. Supracrestal and subcrestal bone-level implants had significantly higher mucosal vertical dimension than equicrestal bone-level implants. Platform-switching implants demonstrated significantly lower mucosal vertical dimension compared with non–platform-switching implants. Conclusion: Within its limitations, this review showed that equicrestal implants had a smaller mucosal vertical dimension than subcrestal and supracrestal implants, and platform-switching implants possessed a smaller mucosal vertical dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maxillary sinus augmentation is a procedure commonly performed in patients in need of maxillary posterior implants with loss of vertical ridge height and sinus pneumatization. Previous studies have identified some factors associated with sinus membrane perforation during lateral-wall sinus elevation procedures. Although membrane perforation does not directly link to future implant failure, it has been shown to have an association with postoperative complications. In order to promote more predictable results and reduce complications during the sinus elevation procedure, especially for the lateral window approach, articles published in peer-reviewed journals were reviewed to support the proposal of a new risk-evaluation system prior to the sinus surgery. This article reviews anatomical and patient-related factors that might affect the risk of perforation during the surgery and also aims to provide a risk assessment table to enable clinicians to analyze these factors prior to the lateral sinus augmentation surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several approaches for horizontal ridge augmentation have been proposed, including guided bone regeneration (GBR), ridge split, and block grafts. Minimally invasive techniques for horizontal GBR have been introduced to reestablish an adequate bone volume, minimizing tissue trauma and patient morbidity. The present article describes a tunnel technique with a subperiosteal bag for horizontal GBR. A collagen membrane is partially perforated, folded, and sutured to form a bag that is filled with xenogeneic bone graft. The filled bag is inserted into a subperiosteal tunnel such that the perforated side faces the alveolar ridge and the nonperforated side faces the tunnel flap. The main advantage of this approach is the preservation of the periosteum and the enhanced blood supply to the flap, which may contribute to increased favorable wound healing and a reduced risk of flap dehiscence and membrane exposure. This novel tunnel approach for horizontal GBR using a customized bag made from a collagen membrane, specifically adapted and filled with deproteinized bovine bone, resulted in a significant ridge volume gain that allowed implant placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report aimed to describe a soft tissue approach to restore a buccal soft tissue dehiscence (BSTD) combined with the loss of peri-implant papillae and loss of periodontal attachment on the adjacent teeth. The first step of the proposed approach was the removal of the crown and abutment to leave the interproximal soft tissue to fill the space previously occupied by the crown. After 3 months, during which time the patient was wearing a provisional restoration (a temporary Maryland bridge), the implant site was treated as an edentulous area with a soft tissue augmentation procedure: the most substantial modification with respect to the original connective tissue platform technique was the use of the wide mesial and distal papillae of the implant, once de-epithelialized on the occlusal surface, as a "partial" connective platform to suture the connective grafts and submerge the implant. At the 4-month reevaluation visit, a minor soft tissue defect remained in both apico-coronal and buccolingual dimensions, and thus a second surgery was performed to obtain further soft tissue augmentation. A flapless punch procedure was used to expose the implant head, and after conditioning the augmented peri-implant soft tissue with a new provisional crown, the definitive restoration was delivered. Complete coverage of the BSTD was achieved, and both papillae entirely filled the interproximal spaces. The results were well maintained up to the 5-year follow-up visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predictability of transcrestal sinus floor elevation (tSFE) in elevating the sinus membrane following posterior maxillary ridge resorption has been widely demonstrated. To minimize complications and increase success, a literature search was conducted to validate procedures used for tSFE. A decision tree based upon timing of perforations was then developed to improve membraneperforation management during the procedure. At each surgical procedure, the clinician is encouraged to use size of the perforation, time during the procedure in which the perforation occurred, and resulting symptoms to determine the best treatment approach. This article discusses all possible sinus membrane perforations based on timing of that surgical procedure, allowing the clinician to recognize and successfully rectify this clinical complication while successfully completing the surgery. With this aim, a classification of sinus membrane perforations occurring during tSFE is proposed, simultaneously providing guidelines to effectively manage these complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of gingival phenotype (GPh) on the clinical outcomes of coronally advanced flap (CAF). In this prospective study, 24 gingival recessions (recession type RT1 class or Miller Classes I and II) in 21 patients were treated with CAF alone. Patients were classified as having thin, medium, thick, or very thick GPh using a color-coded probe. At 6 months, the lowest mean root coverage (mRC; 60.4% ± 28.8%) and complete root coverage (CRC; 25%) were found in patients with thin GPh compared to patients with medium (mRC: 86.4% ± 17.6%; CRC: 60%), thick (mRC: 93.3% ± 14.9%; CRC: 83.3%), and very thick (mRC: 86.7% ± 26.7%; CRC: 80%) GPh. Regression analysis showed a statistically significant difference (P < .05) between thin and thick/very thick GPh in the likelihood of achieving CRC. Higher RES values were observed in patients with thick and very thick GPh (8.2 ± 1.5 and 8.4 ± 1.4, respectively), while thin GPh was related to the lowest RES score (6.3 ± 2.2). CAF performed in patients with thick or very thick GPh resulted in superior clinical and esthetic outcomes than thin and medium GPh. In particular, thin GPh was associated with the lowest mRC, CRC, and root coverage esthetic scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The need for soft tissue grafting at implant sites for preventing and treating peri‐implant diseases is a currently investigated and debated topic. Purpose: The aim of this manuscript is to explore the inflammatory mechanisms at the peri‐implant soft tissue compartment, to distinguish the structural components of the peri‐implant soft tissue phenotype and their role on peri‐implant health, and to appraise the clinical indications and expected outcomes of soft tissue augmentation procedures at peri‐implant diseased sites. Materials and Methods: This narrative review depicts the inflammatory biomarkers and mediators in the peri‐implant crevicular fluid utilized to diagnose peri‐implant disease and that have been shown to be associated with peri‐implant soft tissue phenotype modification and disease resolution. The impact of the peri‐implant soft tissue phenotype, involving keratinized mucosa (KM) width, attached mucosa (AM), mucosal thickness (MT), and supracrestal tissue height (STH), on peri‐implant health, esthetic, patient's comfort and disease prevention are discussed. The manuscript also illustrates the use of ultrasonography for the detection of peri‐implant health/disease and the evaluation of the treatment outcomes following surgical therapies. Results: Current evidence indicates that soft tissue phenotype modification at implant sites with inadequate KM width, AM and MT can be beneficial for promoting peri‐implant health and improving patient's comfort and hygiene procedures. Treatment approaches and outcomes from the available literature on soft tissue phenotype modification in combination with conventional techniques at sites with peri‐implant mucositis or peri‐implantitis are presented and discussed in detail. Conclusions: Soft tissue grafting can be beneficial in preventing and treating peri‐implant diseases. Clinical recommendations based on the disease, soft tissue phenotype characteristics and bone defect morphology are provided for a comprehensive hard‐ and soft‐tissue‐oriented treatment of peri‐implant disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intact extraction socket has been considered a prerequisite for an immediate implant placement and provisionalization (IIPP) procedure. Recent studies, however, have shown successful outcomes when IIPP was performed in sockets with a facial bone wall defect. This retrospective study evaluated the facial implant mucosal stability following IIPP in extraction sockets with a facial bone wall defect in the esthetic zone. The study included 16 cases in 16 patients who received maxillary anterior single IIPP with contour bone graft (CBG) and contour connective tissue graft (C-CTG) in compromised extraction sockets (V- or U-shaped defect). After a mean follow-up of 6 years, the implant success rate was 100% (16/16). Minimal and non-statistically significant changes were noted in the facial implant mucosal and marginal bone level. Statistically significant changes were observed in facial implant mucosal thickness gain (2.5 mm [1.8 mm to 3.5 mm]) and midfacial bone sounding reduction (6 mm). Within the confines of this study, IIPP with simultaneous C-BG and C-CTG in fresh extraction sockets exhibiting a V- or U-shaped facial bone wall defect can lead to long-term successful outcomes in terms of mucosal stability, contour bone gain, and marginal bone level stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implant rehabilitation in the esthetic zone is often challenged by vertical bone defects and soft-tissue deformities. This article describes a combined hard- and soft-tissue restorative approach that involves staged guided bone regeneration, implant placement, and two soft-tissue augmentation procedures to achieve optimal esthetic outcomes at multiple implant sites in the anterior zone. The staged bone augmentation procedure, performed with a mixture of autogenous and xenogeneic bone graft and a nonresorbable membrane, allowed for the placement of three implants in ideal positions after 9 months. Further soft-tissue augmentation involved the use of multiple connective tissue grafts (CTGs) stabilized on the occlusal aspect of the implants and between the implants to enhance peri-implant papillae (ie, the “iceberg” CTG approach). Then, a second soft-tissue grafting procedure was executed to reposition the mucogingival junction and reestablish an adequate amount of keratinized mucosa at the implant sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of a peri-implant soft-tissue dehiscence (PSTD) can be quite challenging for many clinicians and leave gravely disappointing esthetic remarks for patients to bear. The present article describes the treatment of two adjacent PSTDs in the forefront of the anterior region, where papilla deficiency also was exhibited. The case was treated with a coronally advanced flap and connective tissue graft (CTG) with submerged healing. The implant-supported crowns and abutments were removed, and soft-tissue augmentation was performed using a CTG that was sutured to the buccal site of the implants. The flap was released and sutured over the implants, which were submerged aiming for a closure by primary intention. After 3 months, a combination of an apically positioned flap and roll flap was performed to increase keratinized mucosa width around the implants and augment the peri-implant papilla. Clinical and esthetic satisfactory outcomes were obtained at 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alveolar ridge preservation is routinely indicated in clinical practice with the purpose of attenuating postextraction ridge atrophy. Over the past two decades numerous clinical studies and reviews on this topic have populated the literature. In recent years the focus has primarily been on analyzing efficacy outcomes pertaining to postextraction dimensional changes, whereas other relevant facets of alveolar ridge preservation therapy have remained unexplored. With this premise, we carried out a comprehensive evidence‐based assessment of the complications associated with different modalities of alveolar ridge preservation and modeled the cost‐effectiveness of different therapeutic modalities as a function of changes in ridge width and height. We conclude that, among allogeneic and xenogeneic bone graft materials, increased expenditure does not translate into increased effectiveness of alveolar ridge preservation therapy. On the other hand, a significant association between expenditure on a barrier membrane and reduced horizontal and vertical ridge resorption was observed, though only to a certain degree, beyond which the return on investment was significantly diminished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palatal‐tissue harvesting is a routinely performed procedure in periodontal and peri‐implant plastic surgery. Over the years, several surgical approaches have been attempted with the aim of obtaining autogenous soft‐tissue grafts while minimizing patient morbidity, which is considered the most common drawback of palatal harvesting. At the same time, treatment errors during the procedure may increase not only postoperative discomfort or pain but also the risk of developing other complications, such as injury to the greater palatine artery, prolonged bleeding, wound/flap sloughing, necrosis, infection, and inadequate graft size or quality. This chapter described treatment errors and complications of palatal harvesting techniques, together with approaches for reducing patient morbidity and accelerating donor site wound healing. The role of biologic agents, photobiomodulation therapy, local and systemic factors, and genes implicated in palatal wound healing are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe a novel, noninvasive, intraoral optical scanning--based approach for characterising the buccolingual profile of peri-implant tissues using a 3D surface defect map. Materials and methods: Intraoral optical scans of 20 isolated dental implants with peri-implant soft tissue dehiscence in 20 subjects were captured. The digital models were then imported into image analysis software, where an examiner (LM) performed a 3D surface defect map analysis characterising the buccolingual profile of the peri-implant tissues in respect to the adjacent teeth. Ten linear divergence points that were 0.5 mm apart in a corono-apical direction were identified at the mid facial aspect of the implants. Based on these points, the implants were grouped into three different buccolingual profiles. Results: The method for creating the 3D surface defect map of isolated implant sites was outlined. Eight implants displayed pattern 1 (coronal profile of peri-implant tissues more lingual/palatal than their apical portion), six implants exhibited pattern 2 (opposite of pattern 1) and six sites showed pattern 3 (relatively uniform and "flat"). Conclusions: A novel method for assessing the buccolingual profile/position of peri-implant tissues using a single intraoral digital impression was proposed. The 3D surface defect map visualises the volumetric differences in the region of interest compared to the adjacent sites, allowing for objective quantification and reporting of profile/ridge deficiencies of isolated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnel (TUN) technique is normally performed in combination with soft tissue grafts, either autogenous connective tissue graft (CTG) or substitutes, regardless of a patient's biotype. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of graftless TUN in the treatment of multiple gingival recessions (GRs) characterized by thick or very thick biotype. Twenty-seven GRs were treated in seven patients using graftless TUN. At 6-month postoperative evaluations, the mean root coverage (mRC) was 84.57 ± 31.1%, while complete root coverage (CRC) was achieved in 77.8% of treated GR sites and in six out of seven patients. On average, the esthetic evaluation performed using the root coverage esthetic score (RES) resulted in a final score of 9.1 ± 1.4. Sixteen sites achieved the maximum RES score, and in six patients, an RES > 9 was observed in all sites. Graftless TUN showed predictable root coverage and improved esthetics in treating GRs in patients with a thick or very thick biotype. Nevertheless, further studies with a large number of subjects are needed to support these preliminary outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the effect of crown-to-implant (C/I) ratio over survival rate, marginal bone loss, and prosthetic complications of dental implants. Materials and Methods: Electronic (PubMed [MEDLINE], Embase, and Cochrane Central) and manual searches for clinical trials with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were performed. Clinical and anatomical C/I ratios were obtained. Regression models were created to assess for potential correlation between C/I ratio (anatomical and clinical) and survival rate, marginal bone loss, or prosthetic complications. A subgroup analysis of 6-mm implants and a comparison of C/I ratios of > 1.5 vs ≤ 1.5 were also performed. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool For Randomized Controlled Trials were used to evaluate the risk of bias. Results: An overall moderate risk of bias was assessed among the selected articles. Linear regression analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between anatomical C/I ratios and survival rate (P = .905), marginal bone loss (P = .33), or prosthetic complications (P = .67). Similarly, no significant correlation to survival rate and marginal bone loss (P = .42, P = .84) was observed in the articles providing the clinical C/I ratios. Conclusion: Increased C/I ratio does not seem to be directly related with increased marginal bone loss and does not represent a biomechanical risk factor for the stability of the prosthesis and for the survival of dental implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Several approaches for increasing peri-implant mucosal thickness have been proposed, including autogenous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic grafts. The objective of this meta-analysis was to analyze whether xenogeneic matrices are viable alternatives to autogenous soft tissue grafts in peri-implant soft tissue augmentation. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was performed to select randomized clinical trials that compared connective tissue grafts and xenogeneic collagen matrices. The primary outcomes were the mucosal thickness and keratinized mucosa changes, while the secondary outcomes were patient morbidity, painkiller consumption, and surgical time required for the procedure. Results: Seven randomized clinical trials were included for the final evaluation with a total number of 218 implant sites (108 in the connective tissue graft group, 110 in the collagen matrix group) with 3 to 12 months (mean: 6 months) followup period. Results showed mucosal thickness increase in both buccal and crestal sites, but it did not yield statistical significance. The keratinized mucosa gain difference was only --0.06 mm (95% CI [--30.0, 0.18]) between the treatments. The postsurgical discomfort, increased consumption of painkillers, and reduction of treatment time (15.46 minutes less) differed significantly in favor of the collagen matrix group. Conclusion: Within the limits of this study, it can be concluded that collagen matrix and connective tissue graft are equivalent in peri-implant soft tissue augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This systematic review evaluated the mean survival rate and marginal bone loss (MBL) of dental implants with = 6 mm in length, across a time frame of 5 years. The overall prosthetic and biologic complications were evaluated, and their survival rates obtained. In addition, the complication rates of the splinted vs nonsplinted implants were assessed. Materials and Methods: An electronic literature search in PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE (OVID) and Cochrane were performed, in addition to a manual search through all periodontics and implantology-related journals, up to October 2017, to identify relevant articles. Results: Out of 515 potentially eligible articles, 19 investigations assessing a total of 910 extra-short (= 6 mm) implants were included and further evaluated. After 5 years of follow-up, a mean survival rate of 94.1% (90% in the maxilla and 96% in the mandible) and a maximum bone loss of 0.53 mm were demonstrated. Additionally, a statistically significant difference in terms of bone loss was observed between tissue-level (0.12 mm) and bone-level implants (0.36 mm) at 12 months (P < .01), but not between internal and external abutment connections (P = .17). The most commonly reported prosthetic complication was screw loosening. Finally, splinted implants showed less overall prosthetic complications (RR = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.9 to 5.7), screw loosening (RR = 15.2; 95% CI: 5.92 to 39.31), and implant failure (RR = 1.96; 95% CI: 0.8 to 4.8) than nonsplinted implants. Conclusion: Extra-short implants are a viable treatment alternative in ridges exhibiting atrophy, demonstrating a satisfactory survival rate, as well as a low rate of prosthetic and biologic complications across a 5-year follow-up. Additionally, splinting extra-short implants is associated with fewer prosthetic complications and lower implant failure rate compared with nonsplinted implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific advancements in biomaterials, cellular therapies, and growth factors have brought new therapeutic options for periodontal and peri‐implant reconstructive procedures. These tissue engineering strategies involve the enrichment of scaffolds with living cells or signaling molecules and aim at mimicking the cascades of wound healing events and the clinical outcomes of conventional autogenous grafts, without the need for donor tissue. Several tissue engineering strategies have been explored over the years for a variety of clinical scenarios, including periodontal regeneration, treatment of gingival recessions/mucogingival conditions, alveolar ridge preservation, bone augmentation procedures, sinus floor elevation, and peri‐implant bone regeneration therapies. The goal of this article was to review the tissue engineering strategies that have been performed for periodontal and peri‐implant reconstruction and implant site development, and to evaluate their safety, invasiveness, efficacy, and patient‐reported outcomes. A detailed systematic search was conducted to identify eligible randomized controlled trials reporting the outcomes of tissue engineering strategies utilized for the aforementioned indications. A total of 128 trials were ultimately included in this review for a detailed qualitative analysis. Commonly performed tissue engineering strategies involved scaffolds enriched with mesenchymal or somatic cells (cell‐based tissue engineering strategies), or more often scaffolds loaded with signaling molecules/growth factors (signaling molecule‐based tissue engineering strategies). These approaches were found to be safe when utilized for periodontal and peri‐implant reconstruction therapies and implant site development. Tissue engineering strategies demonstrated either similar or superior clinical outcomes than conventional approaches for the treatment of infrabony and furcation defects, alveolar ridge preservation, and sinus floor augmentation. Tissue engineering strategies can promote higher root coverage, keratinized tissue width, and gingival thickness gain than scaffolds alone can, and they can often obtain similar mean root coverage compared with autogenous grafts. There is some evidence suggesting that tissue engineering strategies can have a positive effect on patient morbidity, their preference, esthetics, and quality of life when utilized for the treatment of mucogingival deformities. Similarly, tissue engineering strategies can reduce the invasiveness and complications of autogenous graft‐based staged bone augmentation. More studies incorporating patient‐reported outcomes are needed to understand the cost‐benefits of tissue engineering strategies compared with traditional treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This clinical study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different hemostatic treatments following palatal gingival harvesting on patient discomfort. Fifty patients who needed a mucogingival surgery requiring gingival graft harvesting were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of five groups: (1) a control group in which only sutures were applied; (2) a cyanoacrylate group; (3) a periodontal dressing material group; (4) a hemostatic gelatin sponge group; and (5) a group in which the gelatin sponge and cyanoacrylate were combined. In the 2 weeks following the procedures, perception of pain, healing, consumption of drugs, and willingness to repeat the procedure were recorded through visual analog scale (VAS) by patients. Over the 2 weeks, lower pain (VAS) was found in all test groups compared to the control group (P < .01, value for time-group interaction). Notably, the gelatin sponge combined with cyanoacrylate group had very low pain (VAS = 0.5 points) throughout the 14 days. The lowest healing scores at day 10 were associated with the control group (6.8 VAS points) in contrast to the four test groups (8.2 to 9.0 VAS points, P = .0001). Pain was inversely correlated with age (P < .05). Pain also depended on the apicocoronal dimension of the graft: the higher the graft, the more pain was experienced by the participants (0.4 VAS points per 1 mm, P < .05). Within the limitations of this study, palatal coverage appears to result in better outcomes when compared to suture alone. In particular, a double-layered protection of the palatal wound with a gelatin sponge combined with cyanoacrylate appeared to be the best option in reducing pain and postoperative discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]