AccScience Publishing / GTM / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/gtm.4860
PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE

Patient-oriented and clinical considerations supporting the single-incision subepithelial connective tissue harvest

Han S. Kim1 Denise M. Cacho1 Alan R. George1 Joseph K. Retrum2 Carsen R. McDaniel3 Adam R. Lincicum1 Kimberly Ann Inouye1 Brian W. Stancoven1 Thomas M. Johnson1*
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1 Department of Periodontics, Army Postgraduate Dental School, Postgraduate Dental College, Uniformed Services University, Fort Eisenhower, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
2 Department of Periodontics, United States Army Dental Activity, Fort Riley, Kansas, United States of America
3 Department of Periodontics, Army Postgraduate Dental School, Postgraduate Dental College, Uniformed Services University, Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
Global Translational Medicine, 4860 https://doi.org/10.36922/gtm.4860
Submitted: 15 September 2024 | Accepted: 25 November 2024 | Published: 16 December 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soft and Hard Tissues Reconstruction in Dentistry)
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

The subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) has become the gold standard for treating gingival recession. In addition, SCTG is a reliable technique for augmenting the dimensions of attached gingiva and peri-implant mucosa, thereby supporting periodontal and peri-implant health and stability. Various autogenous soft-tissue harvesting techniques have been developed for use in periodontal plastic surgery, each with its own set of advantages and limitations. Over the past 5 years, updated reviews of human palatal anatomy have influenced clinical decision-making regarding SCTG harvesting, expanding the safety zone for palatal SCTG procedures. New histological and molecular findings have provided insights into the underlying mechanisms that may explain the observed differences in clinical outcomes based on the harvesting method and graft type. The purpose of this paper is to recommend a preferred SCTG harvesting technique applicable to most cases and to identify specific clinical scenarios where available evidence may support the use of alternative methods.

Keywords
Clinical protocols
Esthetics
Palate
Hard
Patient satisfaction
Tissue transplantation
Treatment outcome
Funding
The research was entirely funded by the Defense Health Agency (United States), with no extramural funding provided to the authors.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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