Patient-reported Outcomes of Donor Site Healing Using Different Palatal Protection Techniques

NCT ID: NCT06892496

Last Updated: 2025-04-06

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

42 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-07

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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This study has been initiated to evaluate the question, "What is the best way to protect the palate after a gum graft is removed?" The overall objective is to determine if there is a difference in PROMs of donor site healing using different palatal post-operative protection techniques.

Detailed Description

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This study aims to determine if there is a difference in subject-reported outcome measures (PROMs) when different palatal post-operative protection techniques are used during healing after an autogenous soft-tissue graft is harvested from the palate for periodontal and peri-implant plastic surgery. The secondary objective is to evaluate if there is a difference in the healing of the palatal tissue via photographic and 3D linear and volumetric changes analysis after using the different protective techniques. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the time needed for fabrication and intraoral adjustment of each protective barrier and professional preference among the techniques utilized.

Conditions

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Mucosal Erosion Gingival Recession

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The study team will assign randomly which palatal post-operative protection technique the patient will undergo by utilizing a dedicated software (Research Randomizer). The study team will then initiate the fabrication of the palatal stent in cases where VFR or 3DS groups are assigned to the patient.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Vacuum-formed retainer (VFR): plastic device

Subjects will have both dental arches scanned using an intraoral optical scanner to generate the digital model of the jaw.. A resin model will be 3D printed generating the physical model. A palatal stent will be made out of thermoforming plastic in the model using a vacuum, The stent will cover the palate and the anterior and posterior teeth, including their occlusal and buccal surfaces bilaterally, to provide retention. On the day of the surgery, at the final stage of the surgical procedure (after the graft placement and suture of the recipient site), a collagen sponge will be positioned in the palatal wound, and non-resorbable sutures will be placed above the sponge. The previously made plastic palatal stent (VFR) will be placed in position and stabilized by mechanical retention using the palate and maxillary teeth, bilaterally. The subjects will be instructed to wear the stent uninterruptedly in the first 3 days and per their preference on the 4th day and after.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Visual Analog scale (VAS) questionnaire

Intervention Type OTHER

A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire is a type of self-report tool where respondents mark a point on a continuous line to indicate the intensity of a subjective experience, like pain, fatigue, or happiness, between two extreme anchor points (e.g., "no pain" at one end and "worst possible pain" at the other), allowing for a more nuanced response compared to a standard Likert scale; essentially, it measures the degree of a symptom along a visual continuum.

Vacuum-formed retainer (VFR) technique

Intervention Type OTHER

On the day of surgery, the stent will be positioned to cover the palate and the anterior and posterior teeth, including their occlusal and buccal surfaces bilaterally, to provide retention. Vacuum-formed retainers are a common clinical practice used after harvesting a palatal graft, in order to provide a mechanical barrier to reduce post-operative pain.

Photographs of the patient's palate

Intervention Type OTHER

At the 14-day, 30-day and 3-month follow-up visits, photographs of the patient's palate (Canon EOS 60D DSLR, Canon, USA) will be taken for healing evaluation as well as intraoral scans (TRIOS 4, 3Shape) of the palatal wound for linear and volumetric changes analysis.

Measuring graft dimensions

Intervention Type OTHER

The graft dimensions will be measured with the use of a periodontal probe and recorded on the data collection form. The professional preference in regard to technique applied and the time spent by the surgeon to adjust the stent intraorally will also be recorded in the same form.

3-D printed acrylic resin stent (3DS):

Subjects will have both dental arches scanned using an intraoral optical scanner to generate the digital model file of the patient's jaws. A palatal stent will be digitally designed. The stent will cover the palatal area to the maximum extent, respecting the limit between the hard and soft palate to avoid any discomfort or gag reflex by the subjects. At the final stage of the surgical procedure (after the graft placement and suture of the recipient site), a collagen sponge will be positioned in the palatal wound, and non-resorbable sutures will be placed above the sponge. The previously made palatal stent (3DS) will be placed in position and stabilized by mechanical retention in the palate and palatal surface of the maxillary teeth, bilaterally.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Visual Analog scale (VAS) questionnaire

Intervention Type OTHER

A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire is a type of self-report tool where respondents mark a point on a continuous line to indicate the intensity of a subjective experience, like pain, fatigue, or happiness, between two extreme anchor points (e.g., "no pain" at one end and "worst possible pain" at the other), allowing for a more nuanced response compared to a standard Likert scale; essentially, it measures the degree of a symptom along a visual continuum.

3-D printed acrylic resin stent (3DS) technique

Intervention Type OTHER

On the day of surgery, the previously made palatal stent (3DS) will be placed in position and stabilized by mechanical retention in the palate and palatal surface of the maxillary teeth, bilaterally.

Photographs of the patient's palate

Intervention Type OTHER

At the 14-day, 30-day and 3-month follow-up visits, photographs of the patient's palate (Canon EOS 60D DSLR, Canon, USA) will be taken for healing evaluation as well as intraoral scans (TRIOS 4, 3Shape) of the palatal wound for linear and volumetric changes analysis.

Measuring graft dimensions

Intervention Type OTHER

The graft dimensions will be measured with the use of a periodontal probe and recorded on the data collection form. The professional preference in regard to technique applied and the time spent by the surgeon to adjust the stent intraorally will also be recorded in the same form.

Flowable resin composite stent (FRC)

After the placement of the graft and the suture of the recipient site, a collagen sponge will be positioned in the palatal wound. Then, a layer of cyanoacrylate (PeriAcryl 90HV, GluStitch) will be placed above the sponge using a microbrush. Non-resorbable sutures will be placed covering the palatal dressing, with the suture knots facing the buccal surfaces of the maxillary posterior teeth. Finally, a layer of flowable composite will be added, covering all the wound dimensions, restricted to the wound (no extension to the adjacent teeth). Flowable composite has been shown to help reduce pain using the same principal of providing a mechanical barrier to protect the palatal wound from the oral cavity. Subjects will have both dental arches scanned using an intraoral optical scanner to generate the digital model for secondary analysis.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Visual Analog scale (VAS) questionnaire

Intervention Type OTHER

A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire is a type of self-report tool where respondents mark a point on a continuous line to indicate the intensity of a subjective experience, like pain, fatigue, or happiness, between two extreme anchor points (e.g., "no pain" at one end and "worst possible pain" at the other), allowing for a more nuanced response compared to a standard Likert scale; essentially, it measures the degree of a symptom along a visual continuum.

Flowable resin composite stent (FRC) technique

Intervention Type OTHER

On the day of surgery, a layer of flowable composite will be added, covering all the wound dimensions, restricted to the wound (no extension to the adjacent teeth). Flowable composite has been shown to help reduce pain using the same principal of providing a mechanical barrier to protect the palatal wound from the oral cavity

Photographs of the patient's palate

Intervention Type OTHER

At the 14-day, 30-day and 3-month follow-up visits, photographs of the patient's palate (Canon EOS 60D DSLR, Canon, USA) will be taken for healing evaluation as well as intraoral scans (TRIOS 4, 3Shape) of the palatal wound for linear and volumetric changes analysis.

Measuring graft dimensions

Intervention Type OTHER

The graft dimensions will be measured with the use of a periodontal probe and recorded on the data collection form. The professional preference in regard to technique applied and the time spent by the surgeon to adjust the stent intraorally will also be recorded in the same form.

Interventions

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Visual Analog scale (VAS) questionnaire

A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire is a type of self-report tool where respondents mark a point on a continuous line to indicate the intensity of a subjective experience, like pain, fatigue, or happiness, between two extreme anchor points (e.g., "no pain" at one end and "worst possible pain" at the other), allowing for a more nuanced response compared to a standard Likert scale; essentially, it measures the degree of a symptom along a visual continuum.

Intervention Type OTHER

Vacuum-formed retainer (VFR) technique

On the day of surgery, the stent will be positioned to cover the palate and the anterior and posterior teeth, including their occlusal and buccal surfaces bilaterally, to provide retention. Vacuum-formed retainers are a common clinical practice used after harvesting a palatal graft, in order to provide a mechanical barrier to reduce post-operative pain.

Intervention Type OTHER

3-D printed acrylic resin stent (3DS) technique

On the day of surgery, the previously made palatal stent (3DS) will be placed in position and stabilized by mechanical retention in the palate and palatal surface of the maxillary teeth, bilaterally.

Intervention Type OTHER

Flowable resin composite stent (FRC) technique

On the day of surgery, a layer of flowable composite will be added, covering all the wound dimensions, restricted to the wound (no extension to the adjacent teeth). Flowable composite has been shown to help reduce pain using the same principal of providing a mechanical barrier to protect the palatal wound from the oral cavity

Intervention Type OTHER

Photographs of the patient's palate

At the 14-day, 30-day and 3-month follow-up visits, photographs of the patient's palate (Canon EOS 60D DSLR, Canon, USA) will be taken for healing evaluation as well as intraoral scans (TRIOS 4, 3Shape) of the palatal wound for linear and volumetric changes analysis.

Intervention Type OTHER

Measuring graft dimensions

The graft dimensions will be measured with the use of a periodontal probe and recorded on the data collection form. The professional preference in regard to technique applied and the time spent by the surgeon to adjust the stent intraorally will also be recorded in the same form.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* At least 18 years of age
* Healthy or Mild controlled systemic diseases with no functional limitations (ASA I or ASA II)
* Sites with 1 to 3 teeth or implants requiring soft-tissue grafting
* Minimum palatal thickness of 2 mm
* Willing to participate and sign an informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients with systemic conditions that could impair wound healing (i.e. diabetes, immunosuppressive, chemotherapy, etc.)
* Pregnant patients
* Patients with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants
* Smokers
* Patients with a history of palatal graft harvesting
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Virginia Commonwealth University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Rafael Amorim Cavalcanti de Siqueira

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Virginia Commonwealth University

Locations

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Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Rafael Amorim Cavalcanti de Siqueira

Role: CONTACT

8046288377

Anamika Khosla

Role: CONTACT

8048284868

Facility Contacts

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Rafael Amorim Cavalcanti de Siqueira

Role: primary

804-628-8377

Anamika Khosla

Role: backup

8048284868

Other Identifiers

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HM20028832

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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